With what nervousness
she helped the mother dress the child!
During the entire ceremony, she felt anguished. Monsieur Bourais hid
part of the choir from view, but directly in front of her, the flock
of maidens, wearing white wreaths over their lowered veils, formed a
snow-white field, and she recognised her darling by the slenderness of
her neck and her devout attitude. The bell tinkled. All the heads bent
and there was a silence. Then, at the peals of the organ the singers
and the worshippers struck up the Agnes Dei; the boys' procession began;
behind them came the girls. With clasped hands, they advanced step by
step to the lighted altar, knelt at the first step, received one by one
the Host, and returned to their seats in the same order. When Virginia's
turn came, Felicite leaned forward to watch her, and through that
imagination which springs from true affection, she at once became the
child, whose face and dress became hers, whose heart beat in her bosom,
and when Virginia opened her mouth and closed her lids, she did likewise
and came very near fainting.
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