closed. At first her lips were opened, as if she were about to cry
out; but, apparently restrained by some secret power, she remained
silent, trembling all over, and showing in her countenance the signs
of mingled doubt, fear, astonishment, bashfulness, and love; till at
last, overcome again by sleep, she slowly sank down again on the bed.

Almost at the same time I felt myself irresistibly overcome by
drowsiness, and was very soon fast asleep.

When I awoke, I found myself on the bed of leaves once more, alone in
the gloomy forest, and day was beginning to appear.

When I was quite awake I had some difficulty in collecting my
thoughts, and I said to myself: "Can all this of which I have such a
vivid impression be other than a reality, or was it only a dream, a
magical delusion? Whatever it may be, I will not quit this place till
I find out the truth, and I will place myself under the protection of
the deity who sent the vision."

Having formed this resolution, I was waiting where I had slept, when I
saw approaching me a female form faded like a flower scorched by the
sun, with eyes red from weeping, lips parched by the hot breath of
sighs, wearing a scanty black dress, without ornaments, and with her
hair in a single braid, like an affectionate wife mourning for the
absence of her husband;[6] and with all this having an air of divine
dignity, which made me regard her with reverence, and think that she
might be the tutelary goddess of the place, to whom I had commended
myself; and I prostrated myself before her. But she raised me up with
her arms, and after kissing me again and again, said, with a voice
broken by tears and sobs, "O, my darling, surely you have heard from