But I had ceased to listen. “So you have hopes,” I said at length, “that Marguerite . . .” But he was a stubborn little old fellow. He murmured as he walked away: “The Will’s crowning Victory is Love.” And I stood and watched him as he departed with little quick steps, beating time to a tune that was running in his head. I went quickly back to the château and found little Marguerite. The moment I saw her, I realized that she had the will to live. She was still very pale and very thin, but her eyes had more colour in them and were not so big, and her lips, lately so dead-looking and so silent, were gay with prattling talk. “You are late,” she said. “Come here, see! I have a theatre and actors. Play me a beautiful piece. They say that ‘Hop o’ my Thumb’ is nice. Play ‘Hop o’ my Thumb’ for me.” [Illustration: 090] You may be sure I did not refuse. However, I encountered great difficulties at the very outset of my undertaking. I pointed out to Marguerite that the only actors she had were princes and princesses, and that we wanted woodmen, cooks and a certain number of folks of all sorts. She thought for a moment and then said: “A prince dressed like a cook; that one there looks like a cook, don’t you think?” “Yes, I think so too.” “Well, then, we’ll make woodmen and cooks out of all the princes we have over.” And that’s what we did. O Wisdom, what a day we spent together! Many others like it followed in its train. I watched Marguerite taking an ever firmer hold on life. Now she is quite well again. I had a share in this miracle. I discovered a tiny portion of that gift wherein the apostles so richly abounded when they healed the sick by the laying on of hands. _Editor’s Note_.--I found this manuscript in a train on the Northern Railway. I give it to the public without alteration of any sort, save that, as the names were those of well-known persons, I have thought it well to suppress them. Anatole France. [Illustration: 093] End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Marguerite, by Anatole France