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XI
The Good-Night Kiss
Then the door opened and Mother Marie entered. It was quite dark now, and the Queen could not see her face. But when the good mother bent over her and kissed her so tenderly, whispering the blessing and the good-night in her ear, the poor little Queen’s heart gave a great throb. Before she knew it she had thrown her arms around Marie’s neck and had pulled the rough cheek down close to hers. It was so good to feel a mother face close by! But then a queer thing happened. Mother Marie’s elbows pressed down upon the coverlet and the doll hidden on Clotilde’s breast. And from under the bedclothes came a faint little voice crying,—“Mamma!”
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