Then the old stranger thrusts into the poet's hand the book, his own manuscript, telling all the attempts of his lips to find the instrument which gives the pure and expressive note - every trial upon the canvas before the subtle dawn-glow of the 'clair-obscur' or clarity in shadow appeared there - the novel experiments of harmony and colour, the only products of his nocturnal deliberations.

The next day the poet returns to restore the book to its owner, who does not come: he asks after M. Gaspard de la Nuit, to which the answer is that he is probably in Hell unless he is out on his travels - for he is, of course, the devil.

A short preface attributed to Gaspard himself[3] explains that the artists Paul Rembrandt [sic][4] and Jacques Callot represent two eternally reverse or antithetic faces of Art: one the philosopher absorbed in meditation and prayer upon the spirits of beauty, science, wisdom and love, seeking to penetrate the symbols of nature, and the other the showy figure who parades about the street, rows in the taverns, caresses bohemian girls, always swears by his rapier, and whose main preoccupation is waxing his moustache.

But in considering Art under this double personification he has included studies upon other artists among his poetic meditations, which he has not presented as a formal literary theory because M. Séraphin has not explained to him the mechanism of his Chinese shadow-plays, and Punchinello conceals from curious viewers the thread which makes his arm move.

[5] Gaspard, a French form of Casper, is derived from Chaldean "Gizbar", denoting "the man in charge of the royal treasures".

[7] 'Le Gibet' was one of the supplementary pieces not included in the original 1836 manuscript, and the version of 'Scarbo' alluded to by Ravel was in the same category.

The original 'Scarbo' (a different text), and 'Ondine', are numbers (ii) and (ix) respectively of the third book of Fantaisies, La Nuit et ses Prestiges.