She is a cold veiled flame, br eyes open behind the marble gauze, br marble shrouded mouth, br arms (offering? Inviting? br or withholding?) folded at her breast; br marble gown billowing br in the gale of music drawn br by living hands from wood and gut: br Vivaldi singing to us across the centuries br while from behind the altar br San Vidal glows, high-perched br on his knock-kneed grey, as if br Carpaccio had laid aside his palette br only yesterday.