' I expect he was so mad, when he see his
horse, that he didn't know what he did."

Aunt Ri was half paralyzed with astonishment at this speech. Felipe had
leaped out of the carriage, and after a few words with the old Capitan,
had hurried with him into his house. Felipe had evidently forgotten that
she was still in the carriage. His going into the house looked as if
Ramona was there. Aunt Ri, in all her indignation and astonishment, was
conscious of this train of thought running through her mind; but not
even the near prospect of seeing Ramona could bridle her tongue now,
or make her defer replying to the extraordinary statements she had just
heard. The words seemed to choke her as she began. "Young man," she
said, "I donno much abaout yeour raisin'. I've heered yeour folks wuz
great on religion. Naow, we ain't, Jeff 'n' me; we warn't raised thet
way; but I allow ef I wuz ter hear my boy, Jos,--he's jest abaout yeour
age, 'n' make tew, though he's narrerer chested,--ef I should hear him
say what yeou've jest said, I allow I sh'd expect to see him struck by
lightnin'; 'n' I sh'dn't think he hed got more 'n his deserts, I allow I
sh'dn't!"

What more Aunt Ri would have said to the astounded Merrill was never
known, for at that instant the old Capitan, returning to the door,
beckoned to her; and springing from her seat to the ground, sternly
rejecting Sam's offered hand, she hastily entered the house. As she
crossed the threshold, Felipe turned an anguished face toward her, and
said, "Come, speak to her." He was on his knees by a wretched pallet on
the floor. Was that Ramona,--that prostrate form; hair dishevelled, eyes
glittering, cheeks scarlet, hands playing meaninglessly, like the hands
of one crazed, with a rosary of gold beads? Yes, it was Ramona; and
it was like this she had lain there now ten days; and the people had
exhausted all their simple skill for her in vain.

Aunt Ri burst into tears. "Oh, Lawd!" she said. "Ef I had some 'old man'
hyar, I'd bring her aout er thet fever! I dew bleeve I seed some on 't
growin' not more'n er mile back." And without a second look, or another
word, she ran out of the door, and springing into the carriage, said,
speaking faster than she had been heard to speak for thirty years: "Yeow
jest turn raound 'n' drive me back a piece, the way we come. I allow
I'll git a weed thet'll break thet fever. Faster, faster! Run yer
hosses. 'Tain't above er mile back, whar I seed it," she crie