Constant brooding over the treasure had long since
affected Dona Isabel's brain, and as a consequence she often
dreamed about it. She dreamed about it again to-night, and,
strangely enough, her dreams were pleasant. Sebastian appeared,
but for once he neither cursed nor threatened her; and Esteban,
when he came, was again the lover who had courted her in Habana.
It was all very wonderful, very exciting, very real. Dona Isabel
found herself robed for him in her wedding-gown of white, and
realized that she was beautiful. It seemed also as if her powers
of attraction were magically enhanced, for she exercised a potent
influence over him. Her senses were quickened a thousandfold, too.
For instance, she could see great distances--a novel and agreeable
sensation; she enjoyed strange, unsuspected perfumes; she heard
the music of distant waterfalls and understood the whispered
language of the breeze. It was amazing, delightful. Esteban and
she were walking through the grounds of the quinta and he was
telling her about his casks of Spanish sovereigns, about those
boxes bound with iron, about the gold and silver ornaments of
heavenly, beauty and the pearls as large as plums. As he talked,
Isabel felt herself grow hot and cold with anticipation; she
experienced spasms of delight. She felt that she must dance, must
run, must cast her arms aloft in ecstasy.
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