As always, a glimpse of the Viola children conveys the contrast in their characters that will become crucial at the end of the book. Here, confronted with anarchy and death, Giselle reacts with distress and yet easy sleep, conveying both an aversion to violence and a fundamental dismissal of it. Linda, in contrast, reacts with fierce and protective alertness. The phrase "like a little witch" connects, I believe, with the death of Teresa during Linda's openeyed night, and the occult mystique surrounding her death (see ). Later we are told that Linda speaks "with Teresa's voice" , suggesting perhaps a nocturnal transfer of spirit.