fear that the unfortunate child would not come to life again.

"'Tis very sad," he continued, "but I doubt not it would be better for
the ducal family if Heaven were now to remove him, for an early death is,
after all, preferable to a long life of vexation and misery."

The boy heard this conversation word for word, for, although he could
move neither hand nor foot, and kept his eyes closed, his hearing and
understanding were wide awake.

Old Nonna had shed many tears during good Pepe's speech, and he was
trying to comfort her when George suddenly sat up, rubbed his eyes with
the back of his hands, stretched himself, and then, agile as a brook
trout, sprang out of bed.

The two old people screamed in their astonishment, then laughed louder in
their joy; but the Court physician, who was just entering the room,
looked very much disgusted and disappointed, for he saw the beautiful
prospect of saving the life of one of the royal children dissolve before
his very eyes.

At the time of this accident the Duchess was away from home. On her
return she forced herself to reprove George for his recklessness before
she yielded fully to her motherly affection. When George threw his arms
around her neck and asked her if it were really true that he was an ill-
starred child, and would never have anything but bad luck as long as he
lived, she nearly burst into tears. But she restrained herself, called
Pepe and Nouna a couple of old geese, and the "signs," which they had
talked about, stupid nonsense. Then she left the room hurriedly and
George thought that he heard her crying outside. He had gathered from