At that moment Anfos looked up and perceived
him, and Anfos covered his face with his hands and
dropped to his knees with his face still hidden; while
le tout petit Loup pushed Mireio away and sat gaping
in wonder at the apprentice. Then Christophe walked
over to his father's work-bench, but slowly as one who
walks in his sleep, and he took up a wooden mallet and
a chisel, and laying the chisel against an oak block he
struck it true and strong with the mallet. The chisel
moved, tracing a straight, deep line — hesitated —
slipped sideways and was finally still; and Christophe
also became very still, his whole body grown rigid
because of that stillness. Mireio crept forward and
crouched at his feet, but le tout petit Loup tugged
hard at his sleeve and spoke to him loudly, receiving
no answer. Then something like terror seized le tout
petit Loup, so that he started to scream for their
mother:
cMaman, come here! Come quickly to Christophe!'
Anfos was still kneeling as Marie ran in, but he
rose when he heard her, uncovering his face and laying
a finger against his lips: eHush, do not dare to intrude.
. . . ' he whispered.
She pushed him aside, going quickly to her child,
and pale and trembling with fear though she was, she
managed to speak to the boy quite calmly.
'Christophe,3 she said, 'Christophe, look at me,
dear one. Listen, enfantounet, your mother is
speaking . . . your mother who loves you and needs
you so much. Try to hear her and wake up, my little
son.5 And she placed her hand firmly over his hand:
"Your mother who needs you so much;' she repeated.
His limbs slowly relaxed and he heaved a deep
sigh; then he turned and saw her standing beside him.
In a moment his arms were around her neck: *I
thought I had lost you . . . lost you. . . .' he sobbed
wildly.
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