Madame Dinlet, too, was crying. ‘She was the reason I took this long journey. I hoped to save her. But look at her – she looks so peaceful. Maybe she is in a better place, and she is out of danger.’ Taking the cover off Lysette’s face, Madame stroked the child’s hair. ‘You came into my life for just a few short hours, little one, but I gave you my love, so take that with you.’ Turning to Marjie she said, ‘Come, you must be brave for the other children. We will tell them that Lysette is resting until the doctor comes, and then he will take her to hospital. It is good that he is a Jew, as he will see that she is laid to rest according to their traditions.’

This gave Marjie a little comfort, and she found the strength to straighten her body and go through to check on the other children. As she got to the door, André came through it. Marjie shook her head. The colour drained from André’s face and tears sprang into his eyes.

‘Take a minute with her, André. I’ll see to the children.’

The rest of the journey went well. Marjie had never felt more relieved than when she reached the house outside Avignon and met the leader of the Christian Fellowship, a kindly man who took charge of the children, with his entourage of jolly women helpers.

It was a tearful goodbye, with some of the girls clinging to her, but once she’d left them, the feeling Marjie had was one of great happiness that she’d helped just a few of the Jewish population to safety. She knew she’d done it for her Aunt Ella.

Before she could travel back to Hérault, Marjie had to put on a disguise again. It had been wonderful not to have to bother with it as she travelled across the countryside, but now she was to go by train, as she and André had to get back as quickly as they could to the safety of the camp. The leader of the Fellowship had given them the address of a house where everything would be ready for them.

To their surprise, a gendarme uniform and papers were ready for André, and a clean outfit for herself – a woollen dress that belonged to the lady of the house. It was a little big for Marjie, but she pulled it in with the belt. A drab plum colour, it had a rounded neckline with a straight skirt that fell to her calves. A headscarf and fur jacket completed the outfit, as did her disguise glasses, which she had in her bag. Combing her hair back off her face and donning a small-brimmed felt hat made her look a lot older.