[49.2] al cerrar el horizonte, where the horizon ended. This construction, which usually marks time, here denotes place. But the idea of time is still present in the suggestion of the glance travelling over the scene. The transition is very natural.
[49.3] la costa cantábrica. Cantabria was a province of ancient Spain, including the north coast to the Pyrenees, Biscay and western Guipúzcoa. The Cantabrian Mts. are the coast range of northern Spain, the western continuation of the Pyrenees.
[49.4] se esforzaba con ilusión en averiguar, tried fondly to discover, i.e. "tried to give herself the illusion of discovering," "to deceive herself into believing she discovered." The same idea might be expressed by trataba de ilusionarse en uno de ellos.
[49.5] sería, might be. Conditional of modified statement.
[49.6] como que, since indeed.
[49.7] campar por sus respetos, to act independently. Campar = "to be prominent," "take precedence."
Page 50.—
[50.1] ora... bien, now... now, at one time... at another. Also ora... ora.
[50.2] torcía el gesto, made a wry face, lit. "twisted her face."
[50.3] antes, sooner.