Tyltyl turned round, saw the church clock and hardly had the strength to answer, for the hands were just upon the hour:
"Listen," he stammered, "listen.... It is just going to strike.... There!... Do you hear?..."
Then Mytyl, frightened out of her life, began to stamp her feet and utter piercing screams:
"I want to go away!... I want to go away!..."
Tyltyl, though stiff with fright, was able to say:
"Not now.... I am going to turn the diamond...."
"No, no, no!" cried Mytyl. "I am so frightened, little brother!... Don't do it!... I want to go away!..."
Tyltyl vainly tried to lift his hand: he could not reach the diamond with Mytyl clinging to him, hanging with all her weight on her brother's arm and screaming at the top of her voice:
"I don't want to see the Dead!... They will be awful!... I can't possibly!... I am much too frightened!..."
Poor Tyltyl was quite as much terrified as Mytyl, but at each trial, his will and courage were becoming greater; he was learning to master himself; and nothing could induce him to fail in his mission. The eleventh stroke rang out.
"The hour is passing!" he exclaimed. "It is time!"
And releasing himself resolutely from Mytyl's arms, he turned the diamond....
A moment of terrible silence followed for the poor little children. Then they saw the crosses totter, the mounds open, the slabs rise up....
Mytyl hid her face against Tyltyl's chest:
"They're coming out!" she cried. "They're there!... They're there!..."
The agony was more than the plucky little fellow could endure. He shut his eyes and only kept himself from fainting by leaning against a tree beside him. He remained like that for a minute that seemed to him like a century, not daring to move, not daring to breathe. Then he heard birds singing; a warm and scented breeze fanned his face; and, on his hands, on his neck, he felt the soft heat of the balmy summer sun. Now quite reassured, but unable to believe in so great a miracle, he opened his eyes and at once began to shout with happiness and admiration.
From all the open tombs came thousands of splendid flowers. They spread everywhere, on the paths, on the trees, on the grass; and they went up and up until it seemed that they would touch the sky. They were great full-blown roses, showing their hearts, wonderful golden hearts from which came the hot, bright rays which had wrapped Tyltyl in that summer warmth. Round the roses, birds sang and bees buzzed gaily.