Page:De Amicis - Heart, translation Hapgood, 1922.djvu/340

306 “No,” said the mistress, “that is not right.” And taking the child's hands, she placed one of them on her own throat and the other on her chest, and repeated e.

The child felt with her hands the movements of the mistress's throat and chest, opened her mouth again as before, and pronounced e correctly.

In the same manner, the mistress made her pronounce c and d, still keeping the two little hands on her own throat and chest.

“Now do you understand?” she inquired.

The father understood; but he seemed more astonished than before.

“And they are taught to speak in the same way?” he asked, after a moment of reflection, gazing at the teacher. “You have the patience to teach them to speak in that manner, little by little, and so many of them? one by one—through years and years. But you are saints; that's what you are! You are angels of paradise! There is not in the world a reward that is worthy of you! What is there that I can say? Ah! leave me alone with my daughter a little while now. Let me have her to myself for five minutes.”

And drawing her to a seat apart he began to question her, and she to reply, and he laughed with beaming eyes, slapping his fists down on his knees. He took his daughter's hands, and stared at her, beside himself with delight at hearing her, as though her voice had been one which came from Heaven; then he asked the teacher, “Would the Signor Director permit me to thank him?”

“The director is not here,” replied the mistress;