In this passage, the narrator reflects on a moment of inner thought, suggesting that the person in question might be contemplating someone named Justine. The imagery of Justine being "up there in the big house among the tall candles and the oil-paintings by forgotten masters" evokes a sense of grandeur and distant beauty, emphasizing her elevated or idealized position in the narrator’s mind.
The description combines a sense of nostalgia and admiration, hinting at a romantic or contemplative mood. The setting with the candles and old paintings suggests a timeless, almost mystical place, reinforcing the idea of Justine’s significance in the narrator’s thoughts and possibly representing an ideal or longing rooted in the past or in distant memories.