d loved walking about the room
in her night-dress. She used to say, making that funny little face, "I
am beginning to get used to it, but at first that cap crushed my cheeks
and the dress weighed my shoulders down."

When the spring came she began to cough. She had a little dry cough
which used to make itself heard from time to time, and her long slim
body seemed to become more fragile than ever. She was as bright and
cheerful as before, but she complained that her dress became heavier
and heavier.

One night in May she tossed about and dreamed aloud. I had been
reading all night, and noticed all of a sudden that daylight was
coming. I blew out the night-light and tried to sleep a little. I was
just dropping off when Sister Desiree-des-Anges said, "Open the window,
he is coming to-day." I looked to see whether she was asleep, and saw
that she was sitting up in bed. She had drawn back her blanket, and
was untying the strings of her night-cap. She took it off and threw it
to the foot of the bed. Then she shook her head, her short hair rolled
into curls on her forehead, and I recognized Desiree Joly at once. I
was a little bit frightened, and got up. She said again, "Open the
window and let him in." I opened the window wide, and when I turned
round Sister Desiree-des-Anges was holding out her clasped hands
towards the sun, and in a voice which had suddenly grown weaker, she
said, "I have taken off my dress. I could not stand it any longer."
She lay down quietly, and her face became quite still. I held my
breath for a long time to listen to hers. Then I breathed hard, as
though I could give her my breath, but when I looked at her more
closely I saw that she had breathed her last. Her eyes were wide open,
and seemed to be looking at a sunbeam which was coming towards her like
a long arrow. Swallows flew past the window and flew back again,
chirruping like little girls, and my ears were filled with sounds which
I had never heard before. I looked up to the windows of the
dormitories, hoping that somebody would hear what I had to say, but I
saw nothing but the face of the big clock which seemed to be looking
down into the room over the linden trees.

It was five o'clock. I pulled the blanket up over Sister
Desiree-des-Anges and went out and rang the bell. I rang for a long
time. The notes went far, far away. They went right away to where
Sister Desiree-des-Anges had gone. I went on ringing becau