54 THE FLOWERS

beautiful expression of the countenance of her
whom I then called my Lady.

“That image cannot hear me,” she replied.

“ But she whom it represents, namely the
holy Mary, can and will hear you, Aimée,” I
answered; “she will unite her prayers with
yours, in order that all you ask may be
granted you.”

“ Was not she a woman?” said the little
girl, doubtingly.

“ She was,” I replied; “ but as our Lord
was truly God, so she, his mother, was the
mother of God, and therefore is worthy that
we should address our prayers to her.”

The little girl looked down upon the pave-
ment, but did not speak till I had repeated
some part of what I had before said ; she then
lifted up her gentle eyes, and asked, “ Do you
pray to the saints, my father? Is it right to
pray to them? My mamma told me that
there is no other name under heaven by which
we can be saved but that of our Lord Jesus
Christ.”

I have before hinted that I had already had
some little misgivings respecting the founda-
tion of my faith: and at that instant such a