"FACES OF CHILDREN" "Saint-Luc, a village in the Upper Valais." "The mayor's house." "On this spring morning, all those not kept away by toll have come  because there is sorrow in the house." "The mayor, Pierre Amsler." "His son, Jean." "His daughter, Pierrette." "A neighbor." "The mother of the two children." ""Where is Mama?"" ""She's away on a trip."" ""He's had a shock, nothing life-threatening." "A few days' rest and he'll be himself again."" "Canon Taillier, the priest of Vissoy, was Jean's godfather." "And for Amsler, life returned to normal and he managed as well as could be expected." "It hurt him to see his children left on their own, his home poorly cared for." ""..." "And this torn sleeve!"" "Every night, Jean whispered a prayer to his mother." "Staring at the portrait as he did, he thought it came to life and smiled at him." "Like every Sunday." "Saint Martin's day, when the tenant farmers pay their rent." "Her daughter, Arlette." ""I can't pay."" ""The accident that cost my husband his life was blamed on his carelessness."" ""So the insurance company, invoking the regulations, didn't pay anything."" "And spring returned." "Amsler often cut through Jeanne Dutois' fields." "The first Sunday in June." ""Jean, I have business to see to." "You go alone."" ""If you agree, we could be married before Saint John's Day."" ""I'm going to spend a few days with my old friend, Father Porchet." "How are the children?"" ""I'm going to remarry."" ""The house is empty and there's no one to take care of little Pierrette." "It would be the best thing for the children."" ""What about Jean..." "Did you tell him?"" ""No, not yet."" ""He's such a sensitive child." "I think you'd better prepare him gently."" "The next day." ""You have things to talk about." "I'll get out of your way."" ""Well?"" ""Would you speak to Jean?" "I think you'd explain it better than me." "He's a good boy, but he's so sensitive."" ""I have an idea!" "I'll take Jean with me to Vissoy for a few weeks." "Then I can gently break the news to him there."" ""And when he comes home, things will have returned to normal, and he'll adapt without too much trouble to the new situation."" "The next day, at dawn, the priest set off with his godson." "Having got through the pass, they went down into the next valley." "By nightfall, they could see the belltower of Vissoy." "At the end of the hay harvesting," "Saint-Luc celebrated the marriage of its mayor." ""When you get home, you'll find some changes, Jean." "Your father is going to remarry."" ""Your duty, my child, is to also think of your loved ones."" ""Do you want to see your sister Pierrette brought up badly, and your papa living sad and alone for the rest of his life?"" ""Do I have to call her Mama, too?"" ""Well then... call her mother."" "At the end of the month..." "His heart heavy, but full of good intentions," "Jean set out on the road home." "He saw things again as if he'd been away for years." "Before he even crossed the threshold, the house already seemed different." ""What do I want?" "I want to get into my own house, that's what!"" ""Mama said I wasn't to let anyone in."" ""Sure, but I'm Jean." "I live here."" ""Who said you could use my crayons?"" ""Mama did."" ""Pierrette and I sleep in here." "You sleep in the small room in the back."" ""You have to listen to me, because I'm your mama now." "Then I'll love you and you'll be my little boy."" ""I want you to be cheerful." "I don't like children who mope or who daydream." "They're just lazy."" ""Yes, ma'am."" "The snack." ""and you're not to fight, or envy one another, but love and help one another."" "The following Sunday." "Jean had just noticed his mother's brooch." ""What's the matter?"" "From the first weeks, the animosity between the children was evident." "Pierrette and Jean always played on "their island", far from Arlette, who couldn't play with them." ""Where's your hat?"" "One day, they cleaned out the attic." ""The material is good." "I could make a dress for each of you out of it."" ""It's not yours." "It's my mama's."" ""Why did you do that?"" ""Answer me!"" ""Will you answer?"" ""I hate her!" "I hate her!" "I hate her!"" "After several months, Arlette and Jean now hated each other." ""My doll!" "I lost my doll!"" ""It's too late to go looking for it now."" "The evening at home." ""It's silly to cry over a lost doll at your age."" ""Go upstairs." "I'll be up in a moment."" ""I'm sure your doll fell near the bridge."" ""It's not far." "Go on." "I'll open the door for you."" "Jean had merely hoped that Arlette would get a scolding." "He began to see the seriousness of what he had done." "Lost." ""Did you hear the avalanche?"" "The only solution:" "to admit everything right away." ""Are you sick?"" ""I want to speak to Papa."" ""Come inside and pray."" "Full of shame and anxiousness, he turned to his mother's portrait but the image seemed distant and faded." "Even the portrait had abandoned him." "The next morning." "His father hadn't made the slightest reproach." "Jean thought he had become an object of horror to his family." "He felt like a criminal." "Dear Papa, Goodbye." "I'm a wretch." "I hope you'll forgive me." "Love, Jean." ""I'm going away forever."" ""Since you forgive me, will you give me a kiss?"" ""Mama."" "THE END"