Whileheissooccupied，Iwilltellyou，reader，whattheyare:andfirst，Imustpremisethattheyarenothingwonderful。Thesubjectshad，indeed，risenvividlyonmymind。AsIsawthemwiththespiritualeye，beforeIattemptedtoembodythem，theywerestriking;butmyhandwouldnotsecondmyfancy，andineachcaseithadwroughtoutbutapaleportraitofthethingIhadconceived。
Thesepictureswereinwater—colours。Thefirstrepresentedcloudslowandlivid，rollingoveraswollensea:allthedistancewasineclipse;so，too，wastheforeground;orrather，thenearestbillows，fortherewasnoland。Onegleamoflightliftedintoreliefahalf—submergedmast，onwhichsatacormorant，darkandlarge，withwingsfleckedwithfoam;itsbeakheldagoldbraceletsetwithgems，thatIhadtouchedwithasbrillianttintsasmypalettecouldyield，andasglitteringdistinctnessasmypencilcouldimpart。Sinkingbelowthebirdandmast，adrownedcorpseglancedthroughthegreenwater;afairarmwastheonlylimbclearlyvisible，whencethebracelethadbeenwashedortorn。
Thesecondpicturecontainedforforegroundonlythedimpeakofahill，withgrassandsomeleavesslantingasifbyabreeze。Beyondandabovespreadanexpanseofsky，darkblueasattwilight:risingintotheskywasawoman’sshapetothebust，portrayedintintsasduskandsoftasIcouldcombine。Thedimforeheadwascrownedwithastar;thelineamentsbelowwereseenasthroughthesuffusionofvapour;theeyesshonedarkandwild;thehairstreamedshadowy，likeabeamlesscloudtornbystormorbyelectrictravail。Onthenecklayapalereflectionlikemoonlight;thesamefaintlustretouchedthetrainofthincloudsfromwhichroseandbowedthisvisionoftheEveningStar。
Thethirdshowedthepinnacleofanicebergpiercingapolarwintersky:amusterofnorthernlightsrearedtheirdimlances，closeserried，alongthehorizon。Throwingtheseintodistance，rose，intheforeground，ahead，—acolossalhead，inclinedtowardstheiceberg，andrestingagainstit。Twothinhands，joinedundertheforehead，andsupportingit，drewupbeforethelowerfeaturesasableveil，abrowquitebloodless，whiteasbone，andaneyehollowandfixed，blankofmeaningbutfortheglassinessofdespair，alonewerevisible。Abovethetemples，amidstwreathedturbanfoldsofblackdrapery，vagueinitscharacterandconsistencyascloud，gleamedaringofwhiteflame，gemmedwithsparklesofamoreluridtinge。Thispalecrescentwas“thelikenessofakinglycrown;”whatitdiademedwas“theshapewhichshapehadnone。”
“Wereyouhappywhenyoupaintedthesepictures？”askedMr。Rochesterpresently。