represented as the face of a functionary, in spite of the humiliation which such a remark spontaneously elicited at the first sight of the painting implicitly subjected him to,—since the more important features of the painting were left unnoticed, Mikhaïlof was in raptures over this criticism. Golenishchef had expressed his own conception of Pilate! The fact that this observation was one out of a million possible observations, all of which, as Mikhaïlof knew perfectly well, would be true, did not diminish for him the significance of Golenishchef's remark. He suddenly conceived a liking for his guest, and suddenly flew from dejection to enthusiasm. Instantly his whole painting became vital once more with a life inexpressibly complex and profound. He again tried to say that he himself had that conception of Pilate, but his lips trembled so that he had no control over them, and he could not say a word.
Vronsky and Anna were talking in that low tone of voice peculiar to picture exhibitions, and caused by the desire not to say anything that might give offense to the artist, and, more than all, not to let any one hear those absurd remarks which are so easily made in regard to art. Mikhaïlof thought that his picture was making an impression on them also, and he approached them.
"What an admirable expression the Christ has," said Anna. This expression pleased her more than anything else in the painting, and she felt that the Christ was the principal figure in it, and therefore that this eulogy would be agreeable to the artist. She added, "One can see that he pities Pilate."
This, again, was one of those million accurate but idle observations which his picture, and especially the figure of the Christ, might have elicited. She said that Christ pitied Pilate. In the expression of the Christ there was bound to be an expression of pity, because there was in it the expression of love, a supernal color, a readiness for death, and a realization of the idleness of words. Of course, Pilate should stand for the functionary, the chinovnik, and the Christ should show pity
