She tried to pray, to call upon the Virgin and upon God to watch over her sons, especially her little Crispin.

Then she forgot her prayers as her thoughts wandered to think about them, to recall the features of each, those features that always wore a smile for her both asleep and awake.

Suddenly she felt her hair rise on her head and her eyes stared wildly; illusion or reality, she saw Crispin standing by the fireplace, there where he was wont to sit and prattle to her, but now he said nothing as he gazed at her with those large, thoughtful eyes, and smiled.
"Mother, open the door! Open, mother!" cried the voice of Basilio from without.
Sisa shuddered violently and the vision disappeared..