“Once I had to interfere by force; and after that I took to speaking to them every day and whenever I could. Occasionally they stopped and listened; but they teased Marie all the same.

“I told them how unhappy Marie was, and after a while they stopped their abuse of her, and let her go by silently. Little by little we got into the way of conversing together, the children and I. I concealed nothing from them, I told them all. They listened very attentively and soon began to be sorry for Marie. At last some of them took to saying ‘Good morning’ to her, kindly, when they met her. It is the custom there to salute anyone you meet with ‘Good morning’ whether acquainted or not. I can imagine how astonished Marie was at these first greetings from the children.