“‘My child, behold the glory of God! Behold how it is wide, how it is great, how it is beautiful. Do not let the pain that is in thy body destroy in thy soul the sense of thankfulness!’
“Mademoiselle, that was the chief lesson of my childhood, that I was to be thankful. Since that, all my life I am thankful. I have no more pain, or not often and not great. It is no longer larger than I am. On the contrary, it is small, small, by comparison. I laugh at it! It goes like that!”
He picked up a pebble and sent it skipping down the mountain-side.
They were silent for a time. Then Honor said very timidly,
“It is good to be here with you, Zitli. I have learned things here that I shall never forget. The next time you have pain, perhaps you will remember that.”
The boy gave her a quick look of pleasure.
“Merci, mademoiselle!” he said. “I thank you from my heart.”
“I have never had a boy friend,” said Honor. “I should like very much to have you for a friend, Zitli. Will you have me?”
A flush rose to the boy’s brown cheek.
“And I,” he said, “have never had a friend of my own age at all. What happiness for me, mademoiselle! Friends then, is it not so?”