One had to be blind not to see that those people not merely honored their God, but loved him with the whole soul.

Vinicius had not seen the like, so far, in any land, during any ceremony, in any sanctuary; for in Rome and in Greece those who still rendered honor to the gods did so to gain aid for themselves or through fear; but it had not even entered any one's head to love those divinities.
Though his mind was occupied with Lygia, and his attention with seeking her in the crowd, he could not avoid seeing those uncommon and wonderful things which were happening around him.

Meanwhile a few more torches were thrown on the fire, which filled the cemetery with ruddy light and darkened the gleam of the lanterns.

That moment an old man, wearing a hooded mantle but with a bare head, issued from the hypogeum.

This man mounted a stone which lay near the fire.
The crowd swayed before him.