A young man in a camel coat and a dark green scarf sits on a wrought-iron bench in the Jardin du Luxembourg on a misty October morning, absorbed in a thick old book. Around him the chestnut and plane trees glow in rich amber, copper and gold, and golden leaves drift slowly down through the air and cover the gravel path. The morning mist softens the background: more trees, a distant stone fountain and a woman walking a small white dog are reduced to pale grey-blue shapes. Low sunlight breaks through the mist from behind the trees and creates soft rays and a warm glow on the edge of his face and the pages of the book. A paper cup of coffee steams on the bench beside him.