“An ouange! An evil ouange!” whispered Celeste in horror.
Lorinda turned upon her angrily.
“Celeste, don’t say such things! You know how nervous Mother is, and how easily she becomes upset! If this is one of your charms—”
“No! No!” the woman protested. She stared fixedly at the object on the floor. “This charm is not mine and it is not Antón’s!”
“Then how did it get here?”
“I do not know. It is a sign of evil—a sign of death.”
“Superstition!” exclaimed Lorinda.
Mrs. Rhett started on up the stairs, but as she would have stepped over the burned matches, Celeste seized her by the skirt, pulling her backwards. Frightened, the woman screamed and fell heavily against the wall.
Celeste kept her from collapsing, all the while muttering words Penny could not understand.
“Stop that gibberish!” Lorinda commanded.