II。
BeforealittlewaxenimageoftheMotherandChild，——anoddlittleVirginwithanIndianface，broughthomebyFeliuasagiftafteroneofhisMexicanvoyages，——CarmenVioscahadburnedcandlesandprayed；sometimestellingherbeads；sometimesmurmuringthelitaniessheknewbyheart；sometimesalsoreadingfromaprayer—bookwornandgreasyasalong—usedpackofcards。
Itwasparticularlystainedatonepage，apageonwhichhertearshadfallenmanyalonelynight——apagewithaclumsywoodcutrepresentingacelestiallamp，asymbolicradiance，shiningthroughdarkness，andoneithersideakneelingangelwithfoldedwings。AndbeneaththisrudelywroughtsymbolofthePerpetualCalmappearedinbig，coarsetypethetitleofaprayerthathasbeenofferedupthroughmanyacentury，doubtless，bywivesofSpanishmariners，——ContralasTempestades。
Onceshebecameverymuchfrightened。Afterapartiallullthestormhadsuddenlyredoubleditsforce：thegroundshook；thehousequiveredandcreaked；thewindbrayedandscreamedandpushedandscuffledatthedoor；andthewater，whichhadbeenwhippinginthrougheverycrevice，allatonceroseoverthethresholdandfloodedthedwelling。Carmendippedherfingerinthewaterandtastedit。Itwassalt!
AndnoneofFeliu’sboatshadyetcomein；——doubtlesstheyhadbeendrivenintosomefar—awaybayousbythestorm。Theonlyboatatthesettlement，theCarmencita，hadbeenalmostwreckedbyrunninguponasnagthreedaysbefore；——therewasatleastafortnight’sworkfortheship—carpenterofDeadCypressPoint。