The Complete Short Stories of Émile Zola. Эмиль Золя

the middle of her supplication she raised her forehead. The sun’s kiss was slowly ascending; it had left the frame for the painted canvas. One might have thought that a pale light was issuing from the sacred subject. It reflected on the black wall; and it was as if some cherub had put aside a comer of the veil of heaven, for one saw the Virgin Mary hushing Jesus to sleep on her knees.

      Sister-of-the-poor stared, searching in her mind. She had, perhaps, seen this beautiful saint and divine child in a dream. They also recognised her no doubt, for she saw them smile at her, and she even saw them leave the canvas, and descend towards her.

      She heard a sweet voice that said:

      “I am the saintly beggar of Heaven. The poor of the earth, offer up to me their tears, and I extend my hand to all who are wretched in order to relieve them. I take these alms of suffering to heaven, and it is they that, collected one by one through centuries, form on the last day treasures of bliss for the elect” It is for that reason I wander through the world in poor attire, as becomes a daughter of the people. I console the indigent, my brethren; I save the wealthy by charity.

      “I saw you one evening, and recognised in you the person I was in search of. My work is very hard. When I meet an angel upon earth, I entrust her with part of my mission. For that purpose I have heavenly sous which have power to do good, and which render pure hands fairylike.

      “Look, my Jesus is smiling at you; He is satisfied with you. You have been the beggar of Heaven, for they have all given you their souls in alms, and you will lead your retinue of poor to paradise. Now, give me that sou which is a burden to you; cherubs only, have the strength to carry good eternally on their wings. Be humble, be happy.”

      Sister-of-the-poor listened to the divine word. There she was, bending forward, mute, in ecstasy; and the blaze of the vision was reflected in her astonished eyes. She remained motionless for a long time. Then, as the ray of light continued to rise, it seemed to her that the gates of heaven were closed; the Virgin, having placed the ribbon round her neck, slowly disappeared. The child still looked, but she only saw the top of the gilded frame shining feebly in the last rays of light Then, no longer feeling the weight of her sou on her breast, she believed in what she had just seen and went away, thanking the Almighty.

      It was thus that she had no more care, until the day when the angel she had been awaiting from infancy, bore her away to her mother and father, who, grieved at the separation, had been calling her to paradise for so long. She found, beside them, Guillaume and Guillaumette, who had also left her one day when they felt too weary.

      And more than a century after her death, it was impossible to discover a single beggar in the district; not that our ugly gold and silver pieces were stored away in the family cupboards, but because there were always to be found, no one knew how, some of the produce of the Virgin’s sou, of those big sous in yellow copper, which are the money of those who labour and of the simpleminded.