Nebraska Newspapers

    THE OMAHA DAILY BEE SUNDAY. JUNK 10 , 1801
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CQWRiGHT Pr J MES GOWXJM EDINETT- ISM *
JIESTJME OF LOUBDES.
rtnof Synopsis of the Portion ofoln's Urcn
Htury Wlilrli lint Iltifll I'rlntrd.
riltHT DAY.
CHAPTER J. The opening scene of "I-ourd'e , "
whn.li was fomnienrcil In nerlnl form In Hun.
ilav's Ioo ! of April IS. Is In a rar of the "while
train , " which rnrrlwt the very sick | i grlms
from PiYrts M I-nurdon. Among the pilgrims
Is M.irl8 de Ouers.ilnt , n younic woman who for
years lion iK.en Ifftlrlildon. Him U accompanied
liy her father and lhe Abbs I'ifrre Krrjmi-nt ,
niAPTRIl II. The Abbe Pierre * os the
son nf n cIiemHt , wild llvwj nt Neullly. l'vjn
next thm were it. iH * CJuernnlnt nnd his fnmUy.
JJttlo Marie ile ciiicrmlnt nmt I'lerrc playrd to-
pelher , nml finally fell III love with each other
in they frmf Up. MarU received nn Injury
which resulted In nearly total iiaralysls. As
nhc could never become his wife Pierre became a
CHAITBU HI. The suffering In tin train Is
inlensi * when It titoim nt 1'olrtlcra half nn hour
for lunch. . . .
OHAITHU IV , As the train starts Sophie Cou-
tetiu gets In. Htie tells the story of the cure
accorded lo her dlMwwxJ foot by elmply dipping
it In the waters nt I/widen.
CHAITnil V. The nbbe Kails aloud a book
{ riving the history of Ucinadotte , nnd describes
the eighteen times she saw the visions In the
prntto. Ixiiinles Is renrliMl In the early morn
ing. An the train rolls Into the station nn un-
fcnown man dies.
RKCOXD DAY.
CHAPTER I. A vivid picture * Is glrcn of the
confusion -when Iho Ininllds are landed nna
conveied tn the hospllul.
CHAITni ! II. The hospital Is greatly over
crowded. At S a , in. llu * procession to the
grotto starts. rather Massals asks the vast
congregation to pray for n. great mlraole. ns the
body of the man who died In the train Is to bo
Immersed In tha pool In hopes that Ufa will be
VlIAPTKR llf. The nbbe meets his old friend.
Dr. rimsialgne. The crowd forces the abbo to
the pools. The 1eud man Is brought In nnd
Immersed No mlnielt ? occurs. On going out
tinabbo Hnila that ilarlcliaji been bathed with
out effect.
CIIAITKIl IV. Dr. Chassalitne accompanies
the nblw to the Hun-ail nf Certifications. Kllza
Ilnuqtet.hosc face was made hideous by a
lupin , ' declares the win * Is steadily drying up.
J.n' nrlvotto , who lun ! been In the last stages of
consumption , comes rushing In , shouting , "I nm
cured I"
CJfAPTKR V. Tn tliOfOvenlng the abbo visits
JIarle. fihe Is much defxrossed and Is losing her
faith.Ho reads to the Invalids , continuing the
story of Ilernadette , telling how persecutions fol
lowed upon "the first miracles. The recitation
cheers them tip , and restores JIarlc's faith.
* THIRD DAT.
CHAPTER J. PI-TIT nnd M. lie Ouersalnt have
a small room In the Hotel de Appuarltlons. Pierre
discovers thnt Mini * . Volmar. the wife of u rich
Parisian , who has cnme to Lourdes as a devout
pilgrim. Is hid In the adjoining room , occupied
ill" her lover , wliom she has come on the pll-
KTlmoKO to meet. The hotel Is so crowded that
tt Is necessary tn wait a long time tn get n seat
nt the breakfast table , The meal , In the con
fusion. Is far from appetizing.
CHAITKU II. Pierre and M. do OucrRaInt
meet Mme. Peongneiiux and Mile. Raymondc ,
They are Joined by M. de IVyrelnngue , to whom
Jlaymondc Is engaged. They visit "tho jvonote , "
vhere the strottber Ivearern , from all clasxca ,
rich and poor alike , take mails together. Per
mission Is received for Marlp to paws a night at
the grotto. The party al * visits the building
where the holy uater Is bottled and where the
candles are made.
THIRD DAY.
THIRD DAT Chapter Til.
By nightfall Marie was all Impatience in
the Hospital of our Lady of Sorrows , for she
had learned through Mine , dc .Jonqulere that
the Baron Sulro had obtained permission
from Father Fourcatle for her lo pass the
night'before the grotto. Every few minutes
she would question Sister Ilyacintho :
"Oh , Sister , pray tell rile , Is It 9 o'clock
yet ? " "No , no , my good child ; hardly half-
past 8. Here Is a good woolen shawl to
wrap aboul you at daybreak , for the Gave
Is very near and the early mornings are
fresh and cool In this land of mounlalns. "
"Oh , sister , the nights arc so line , and I
Bleep so llttlo hero In lhe ward. I cannot
possibly be uncomfortable out of doors. Oh ,
God , how happy I am ! What a delight to
pass the cntlro night with the Holy Virgin ! "
Every one In the ward onvled her. It was
n Ineffable joy , -a supreme blessing to pray
thus a whole night In front of the grotlo. II
was said that the elect certainly saw the
Virgin during the stillness of the peaceful
night. But , ono had to have great Influence
7o procure such a favor. The fathers were
very loathe to give it , for several Invalids
had died in consequence , as though they had
tone away in some ecstatic slumber.
"And then , my child , " continued Sister
Hyaclntle ) , "tomorrow morning you will toke
the communion at the grotto before they
fetch you back hero. " *
Nine " o'clock struck. Could Plerro , usually
so , "punctual , have forgotten her ? They
wore 'tolling her now about the procession
of torches and candles that she would see
from beginning to end If she. started nt
onco. Every evening the ceremonies ter-
snlnalcd by such a procession , but that of
'Sunday was always liner , and tonight It
AaiLbeon specially announced thnt the pro
fession would bo of extraordinary splendor ,
Jeldom equalled. Nearly 30,000 pilgrims
would Inarch , each with a taper In his hand.
Nocturnal marvels wcro noout to bo dis
played , stars wore about lo come down lo
carlhl And all Iho Invalids regretted their
sad stale that chained them to tholr beds ,
so that they could witness nona of these
prodigies.
"My dear daguhler , " Mme. do Jonqulore
said .at , last , "hero are your father and the
abbe. "
Marie ; radiant , qulto forgot her waiting.
"Oh , I'lorre , I beseech you , hurry , hurry. "
/They took her down stairs. The priest got
the lltllo cart in readiness that rolled
smoothly along beneath the sky so filled with
stars , whllo M. do Guersalnt walked by her
side. It was a night without a moon , but
marvclousty beautiful , deep blue velvet sky
dolled all over with diamonds , and the soft
air was exquisite a perfect bath of tepid
air , perfumed by the mountain breezes.
Many pilgrims wore hurrying along lhe
slrcet walking toward the grotto , but It
was a temperate crowd , a select human
flood , showing no longer the frivolous rest
lessness of the preceding day. As they
reached the Plateau do la Morlasso the
darkness Increased and they seemed to be
beneath nn immense black sky , In a shadowy
lake formed by the grass pots and large
trees , while to the loft might be seen point
ing upward the thin dark splro of the Ba
silica. I'lerro wns troubled at seeing tlie
crowd thicker and moro dense as they wpnt
on. In fact. In the Place du Uosuiro tltoy
could scarcely move at all.
r".Y ° < ' - tlllllk ot Kiting
. * . ianno'-1 , near the
grotto , ho said , stopping nhort. "It will be
better to go to some path behind the pil
grims' shelter and wait there. "
Hut Marie was most anxious to see the
start of the procession :
"Oh , please , dear friend , try to get as far
as the Gave. I can see It from a distance.
I do not want lo go too near. "
M. do Guersalnt , who was as curious as
the , also Insisted : '
"Do not bo afraid. I will come behind
and Iwill watch that no ono jottles her "
Plorro started off again , dragging the cart.
It took him a quarter of an hour to get un
der ono of the arches to the right of the
ramparts. o great was the crowd Just there.
He found afterward that by going across
toward the quay , on the banks of the Gave ,
that there were only spectator * ! standing on
tha sidewalk , no ho went on for about fifty
yards , and , pushing the cart directly against
the railing , they had a fine view of the
grotto.
"Will you bo comfortable horoT"
"Oh , yes , thank * . But I must alt up. I
shall BOO much better. "
M , do Guorsalnt raised her on her seat ,
and then got up hlmsulf on the stone bench
that U placed from ono end of the quay to
the other. A crowd of sightseers were packed
there , aa on some nights when flreworks are
to bo aut oft. All stretched their nccka ,
standing on tiptoes. Even Pierre felt Inter
ested , although as yet there wai nothing to
bo aeen.
Thare were already 30,000 persons present
and more were coming each moment. All
carried n candle that was wrapped In a
twist nf whlto paper , on which was printed
In blue n picture of Our I/uly of Gourdes.
These c.imlles were not yet lighted. Only the
grotto , brilliantly Illuminated , might bo seen
across this moving son of hcadH , throwing
ont a bright light llko that from a forge.
A great murmuring and the shuflllng of
many feet gave ono the Impression of thou
sands of people being Jammed nnd squeezed
together , lost In the deep shadows , but
Muttering llko a living tablecloth that got
larger and larger. 1'ooplo were under the
trees beyond the grotto In dart ; plares that
were not su pccted. Finally a few candles
here and there began to bo lighted , like
sudden stars piercing through the obscurity
almost by chance. The number Increased
rapidly , and Islands of stars formed , while
on other flldcs milky ways and long trails
HccmeU to form entire constellations. The
30,000 candles were sparkling one by ono ,
nearer and nearer , completely overshadowing
the bright glow of tlio grotto , and rolling
from one cnd of the promenade to the other ,
the little yellow names , llko an Immense
brazier ,
"Oh , " murmured Marie , "oh. I'lcrri * . how
beautiful ! It Is llko the resurrection of the
lowly , the souls of poor people that wake
again to shine. "
"Superb , superb , " repeated M. do Guer
salnt In the enthusiasm of his artistic satis
faction. "Look over there , these two trolls
that are cut In two and form a cross. "
Plerro was greatly touched by what Marie
bad Just said. These llttlo weak flames ,
scarcely a point of light , were Indeed like
the modest lives that only their number
over made known nnd showed In the splen
dor of the bright sunlight. New ones were
constantly appearing * far off and almost as
If lost.
"Ah , " he murmured , "that one that ap
peared alone , so far away , so vacillating.
Do you see It , Marie ? How It grows nnd
comes slowly toward us to lose Itoclf In the
great lake of flro ! "
One could now see as clear as In the day.
The trees , lighted from below , looked In
tensely green , llko painted trees In scenery
or decorations. The banners , high above
the moving lights , remained motionless ,
most distinct , with their embroideries and
silken cords , and the whole reflected all up
the rock , even to the Basilica , whoso spire
nt present appeared perfectly white against
the black sky ; \rhllo on the other side of the
Gave the hills wore also plainly visible ,
showing the pale facades of the convents In
the midst of their dark trees. Thcro was
a moment of uncertainty. The fiery lake ,
every wick of which was llko a small wave ,
rolled Its sparkling stars as though It would
break and rush Into a river. And the
banners waved. There was Ji motion for
ward. "Hullo , " said M. do Guersalnt , "they
are not coming this way , then. "
Pierre , who knew about It all , then ex
plained that the procession first started
along In lines established at certain dis
tances on the wooded hills , then , turning
behind the Basilica , It came down the ram
part 'to the right and might bo seen crossing
through the gardens. ,
"Sec , the first candles are going up. You
can see them among the trees. "
It was a fairy scone. The llttlo trembling
lights stretched from the vast assemblage
gently moved along , so delicately that it
was Impossible , to distinguish what held'
them on earth. They moved llko sunbeams
Into the darkness. Soon there was an
oblique linothen , the line doubled , bya sud
den turn , and a now line was seen , that In
Its turti went round. Finally the entire hill
side was covered by a zigzag of fire , such as
these strokes of lightning that are seen In
pictures. But the luminous line was not
effaced , for the llttlo lights moved on
softly nnd slowly. Once In a while there
would occur n brief eclipse , when the pro
cession passed behind some group of trees.
Farther on the candles reappeared , upward
as they turned by a complicated path , in
terrupted continually , but always rejoined
again. At last the moment came when ,
they did not go furtlier. for having reached
the top of the hill they disappeared over the
last turn of the road. Voices were heard
lnthe _ crowd :
"There they ore turning behind the Ba
silica ! Oh , It will be twenty minutes yet
before they pome down.on the other side ! "
"Yes , madame , there are 30,000 , and It will
bo at least an hour before the last ones
leave the grotto. "
Before the start a hymn had been sung In
the midst of the two mutterlngs of the
'
crow'd , .It was the compline of Bernadotte ,
"tho sixty" verses , each with Its angelic salu
tation , as a. refrain , In Its soothing measure.
When.the sixty verses were finished they
wore commenced again , and thus the rhythm
wont on endlessly , "Ave , ave , nvo Maria , "
overpowering the , senses , overcoming the
members of the body , carrying away llttlo
by little these thousands of porsops In n sort
of waking dream a full vision of paradise.
All the' night long , even when they slept ,
the bed seemed rocked by Its measure , and
they still siing "the song :
"Are wo going to remain here ? " nskod
M. de Guersalnt , who was quickly tired.
"Onco seen. It Is all alike. "
Maria , who had heard people talking In
the crowd , now said : "You wore right , Pierre ;
It would be better to go back there under
the trees. I want so much to see It all. "
"Certainly , " answered the priest , "wo will
find a place where you can see everything.
The hard part will bo to get out of this. "
The crowd of spectators had Indeed closed
them In. almost as with a wall. Pierre was
obliged to open a passageway by beggglng for
a llttlo room for an Invalid , and by so doing
ho obstinately got Marie out , whore by
turning she could still see the Ilamlng cloth
In front of the grotto , the lake , with Its
shining waves , that flowed ever on In the
procession , without booming to diminish ,
whllo M , de Guersalnt closed In the ranks by
protecting the cart against the shoving and
pushing.
They , finally found themselves free of the
crowd and opart. They were near ono of the
arches , In a deserted spot , where they were
able to breathe for a moment. They coultl
only hear the distant hymn , with Its recur
ring refrain , and saw nothing but the reflec
tion of the candles In a sort of luminous
mist , floating up on the side of the Basilica.
"The best place. " declared M. de Guer-
salnt. "would bo to go tip to the Calvary.
The maid nt the hotel told me so this morn-
Ing. It seems the -view from up there Is llko
fairyland. "
But thit could not be contemplated. Plerro
showed how dlfllcult It would bo to go.
"How could wo ever got up so high with
the cart ? Then coming down would be very
dangerous at night , and with nil that pushing
crowd. "
Marie herself preferred to remain In the
gardens , under the trees , where It was so
quiet. So they started off and reached the
esplanade , opposite the statue of the great
Crowned Virgin. This was Illuminated by
means of colored glasses , that made It look
In a barbaric splendor , with an aureole of
blue and yellow lamps. In splta of his de
votion , M. Uo Guersalnt thought this In ex
ecrable taste.
"Here , " said Marie , "near this grove wo
shall be very well placed. "
She showed a group of shrubs at ono side of
the pilgrims' shelter , and Indeed the spot was
an excellent ono , for the procession could bo
Plainly seen as It wont down the loft rampart ,
and might be followed as far as the new
'bridge , all along the grass , as It described the
double parallel movement going and coming.
Then , too , , the proximity of the Gave made
the foliage exquisitely fresh , No ono was
there avyet. and one4mlght enjoy an Infinite
peace In the thick shade of the largo plan
tains that bordered the pathway ,
M. de Quersalnt stood ou his tiptoes. Im
patient to see the first candles reappear after
turning round the Basilica.
"Nothing can be seen yet , " 1)0 ) said. "Well ,
then , I ijluill elt down on the grass for a few
minutes. Jlyiega are perfectly broken. "
Ho Tras troubled about his daughter.
"Do yoU'VaiU mo to cover you upT It 1 *
very coofiliere , "
"Oh , no , father ; I am not cold. I am so
happy. U Is so long since I breathed such
pure , delicious air. There must be roaes
about here. Do you not smell the delicious
fragrance ? "
Then turning toward Pierre : "Whero are
the roses , my dear friend ? Can you see
them anywhere ? "
As soon as M. tic Guersalnt sat down be
side Marie's cnrt Pierre thought ho would
look about and see If any beds of roses were
planted near by. But ho searched through
the darkeit jjrnsF pint" I" vnln ; ho could only
11 ml groups of green bushes nnd shrubs. As
, he was coming back he passed the shelter for
' pilgrims and for simple curiosity he looked
In.
It was a large room with n very high cell
ing , lighted by big windows on both sides ,
U was paved with stones , and the walls wore
bare : there wan no furniture except benches ,
shoved all over the place , every which way
not a single table or even a board , so that
the pilgrims who hod no lodging place but
this had piled their baskets , their parcel *
and their valises on the window sills , that
wcra thus changed Into receptacles for lug-
j gage. The room was empty Just then , for
all the poor people who occupied It were
probably nt the procession. Notwithstanding
the wide open door the place was filled with
a most Insupportable Binell ; walls Impreg
nated with misery ; the soiled flagstones , that
were still damp In spite of the glorious sun
of the preceding day , with splitting , grease
and spilled wine. Everything- took place In
side these walls , sleeping nml eating. In a
mass of dirty people and fllthy clothes.
Plerro was sure the odor of roses did not
come from this spot. He walked round the
room , lighted by four smoky lanterns , think
ing it absolutely empty , when he was sur
prised to see a vague form against the left
wall. A. woman dressed In black , holding a
white bundle on her knees. She was quite
alone In her solitude and did not move ,
though her eyes were wide open. Ho approached
preached and recognized Mme. Vincent , who
said to him In n low , broken hearted voice :
"Yes , Rose has suffered so much today.
She has not stopped moaning over since day
break. Then , as she fell asleep -about two
hours ago , 1 do not dnro to move lest she
wake anil suffer again. "
So she remained as motionless as a martyr
mother who for months had held her child In
one position , hoping thereby to cure her ,
She had brought her to Lourdes In her arms ,
had walked with her thus , had slept with her
child In her arms , having no room , not even
a bed at any hospital.
"Is the poor little thing no bettor ? " asked
Pierre , with a bleeding heart.
"No , Abbe , no. I do not think she Is. "
"But , " he added , "you are most uncom
fortable on this bench. You should have
made some arrangement not to remain In
this way almost in the street. Some one
would have gladly given your little girl a
lodging , I am sure. "
"Oh ! sir , what good would thai do ? She
Is now on my own knees. And perhaps I
might not have been allowed to remain with
her like this. No , no. I would rather have
her In my arms. Perhaps that may be the
means of saving her life. "
Two great tears rolled down her motionless
face and she continued in a choked voice :
"I am not entirely 'Without money. I had
30 sous when I left Paris , and of that I still
have 10. Bread Is enough for me ; as for
her , my llttlo darling , she cannot oven take
a drink of milk. I have enough to last
until wo start again , and it she Is healed ,
ohvo ! shall be rich , rich , rich Indeed. "
She leaned forward , looking by the vacil
lating light of the neighboring lantern at
Rose's white face , whoso lips were parted
by a faint breath. "See how she sleeps ,
Abbo. Do .you not think the Holy Virgin
must take pity on her nnd euro her ? Wo
have only one more day , but I do' not de
spair , and I am going to pray this entire
night without moving. It will bo tomorrow ;
wo must live for tomorrow. "
An Infinite pity surged over Pierre , who
moved awayi lest he , too , might burst Into
tears.
"Yes , yes , my poor woman , hope on. "
And he left her alone In that great room ,
deserted and foul smelling , amid the con
fusion of the benches ; motionless In her sorrowful
rowful mother love , fearful lest the heav
ing of her bosom should awaken the Invalid.
Llko one crucified she prayed on , her mouth
shut , yet her prayers most ardently uttered.
When Pierre reached Marie she asked him
quickly :
"Well , and the roses ? Are there any
near us ? "
Ho did not wish to sadden her by tolling
what ho had Just seen.
"No ; I searched all over the lawn , but
there are no roses. "
"It Is singular , " she said dreamily. "The
odor of them Is so faint , yet so penetrating.
Do you not smell them ? Now , at this mo
ment , It Is very strong , ns though all the
roses In paradise wcro blooming about us
tonight. "
She was Interrupted by a slight exclama
tion from her father. M. do Guersalnt was
standing up again , as ho had noticed that
tho. luminous specks wore on the top of the
rampart again , to the leff of the basilica.
"There they are at last. ' ' -
It was. Indeed , the head of the procession
that was appearing. The bright lights
seemed to swarm nt once , then stretch out
In a double oscillating lino. ' The darkness
hid everything ; so they scorned to be very
high up , as though Issuing from the un
known region. At the same time the soothIng -
Ing and calming hymn commenced again , but
it was so far off , so faint , that , 'It seemed
more llko an approaching squall rustling
among the troes.
"I told you so , " murmured Mt do Guer-
snlnt ; "wo ought to have been on the Cal
vary to sc-o all. "
Jle came back to his original idea In his
cnlldllko obstinacy , deploring that they had
cho3on the worst place from which to oeo.
Marie finally said : "But , papa , why do
you not go up to the Calvary ? There Is
still plenty of time. Plerro will stay with
mo. And , " she added , with a. sad smllr ,
"nobotly will run nway with mo. Do go. " .
Ho refused , only to suddenly comply , .in
capable of resisting the Impulse of a wish.
IIo would have to hurry and cross the
grass In fast time.
"Do not move fr.om here ; walW for me un
der these trees. I will toll you all I see from
up thoro. "
And Plorro and Marie remained alone In
their obscure cornier , that was filled with
the perfume of roses , yet not a single flower
was In sight. They did not speak , but
looked at the procession as It passed down ,
gliding softly , yet smoothly.
It looked llko a double hedge of twinkling
stars , which , beginning nt the left corner of
the Basilica , followed the monumental ram
part , whoso contours were thus marked
clearly. From this distance the pilgrims
who carried the candles were not visible , and
only the moving lights wore seen , tracing In
regulated movements the correct lines of
the buildings. Even the monuments them
selves wore vnguo In Uio night atmosphere ,
and seemed scarcely Indicated by an appar
ent Incrooso of gloom. But little by llttlo ,
as the number of candles Increased , the
architectural lines shone forth the slender
pinnacles of the Basilica , the Cyclopean
arches of the ramparts , the heavy , over
weighted facade of the Hosary. That unin
terrupted river of bright sparks , that flowed ,
that flowed slowly on , with the obstinate
force of a stream Uiat has overflowed Its
banks and that nothing can stop , looked at
last llko the aurora , a glowing mist that In
vaded , that finally bathed the whole horizon
with Ita glory.
"Look look , Pierre ! " cried Marie with an
aJmost chlldUh pleasure. "It never seems
Uo stop It still keeps coming ; . "
In fact , the sudden apparition of little
sparks continued with A mechanical regular
ity , as It some Inexhaustible celestial spring
had bubbled forth with this golden
den liquid fire. The head of the
procession had reached the gardens
that are on a level with the statue of
the crowned Virgin , so that now the double
line of lights marked out both the circles of
the Rosary and those of the largo arches of
approach , The approach of the multitude
made Itself felt by a motion In the air , a
palpable stir coming from a distance , and
above all sounded the voices singing the
compllno of Bornadetto , and a confusion of
harmonies floated the refrain , "Ave , ave , ave
Maria , ' * In a rhythmic tone , that rose higher
and higher as they walked.
"Ahl" laid Pierre , "that refrain It enters
into the very soul. I feel as though my
whole being would end by singing U , "
Marie again laughed like a child ,
"That Is true ; It follows wo everywhere.
I hoard It ev.cn v/hln asleep , and now It
scliM mo'onco mnrc and llfta mo above
enrthlr things. "
She stopped to sayi-
"Thoro they arc now , on the other sldo of
the lawns. Just oppdalto UB. "
Now the prccesilon was comlnfi ; down the
right hand path , and' ' after going round the
Cross of the Bretons * , guile round the grass ,
It would go down by the other right hand
road. It would tiki about fifteen minutes
to execute this movement. At present the
double line formoil-two long parallel linen of
flame , that termlrvitc.d in a figure of a tri
umphal sort of sun. The constant wonder
was the mnrch without ceasing of this serpent
of fire , whose golden wings crawled to gently
along the black cajli | , drawing Itself out al
most Indefinitely , as though Its Immense
body wore without end. Several times great
hnito must have bten made , for -the lines
thinned as If about to snap In two , but order
had been re-established , the gliding had re
commenced with slow regulnrlly * A milky
way had fallen from above , rolling down Its
falling worlds , that reached the earth to be
come brilliant stars. A blue clearness cov
ered all. There only remained the sky ;
the monuments and the trees .appeared as
though seen In n dream through the mysteri
ous light of the thousands of candles , whose
number ever Increased.
Marie gave a sigh of admiration nnd could
find no worda to express her feelings. She
could only repeat :
"Oh , how lovely , my God ! how beautiful.
Do look , Pierre , is It not beautiful ? "
Now that the procession was passing with
in a few feet of them U no longer resembled
the rhythmical march of stars unsupported
by human hands. Forms were now easily
distinguished through the misty light , nnd
they recognized several pilgrims who were
carrying candles. First of nil La Grlrottcr ,
who insisted In taking part In the ceremony ,
notwithstanding the late hour , exaggerating
her euro nnd repeating that she had never
felt better. So she kept up her springing
step and dancing , although the fresh night
air was giving Jior a chill. Then came the
Vlgucrons , the father lending , carrying his
candle very high up , followed by Mme. VI-
gueron and Mme. Chase , dragging the.r tired
legs along , whllo poor little Gustavo , * quite
exhausted , struck the sand with his crutch ,
his right hand being covered with the drip
ping wax. All the nblo bodied Invalids
wore In the procession , among others Ellse
Ilouquot , looking llko some damned appari
tion , with her red , uncovered face. Others
were laughing , and the llttlo miraculously
cured girl of the preceding year , Sophie Cou-
teau , played with her candle as though It
had been a stick. Rows nnd rows of heads
passed by , most of them women of the lower
classes , but having sometimes superb fea
tures that were seen for a second , then lost
in the fantastical light. It seemed as If It
would never stop , othtrs followed on so'fast ,
and a tiny , timid little shadow turned out to
be Mme. Mnzo , whom they never would have
recognized had she not turned her pale face ,
drowned In tears , for an Instant toward
them.
"Now look , " explained Pierre to Marie.
"There nro the first lights of the procession
Just reaching the Place du Rosaire , nnd I am
sure moro than half the pilgrims have not
yet passed the grotto. "
Marie lifted her eyes. Far away she had
Indeed noticed , on the loft corner of the Ba
silica , other lights surging regularly , and
without a break. In a sort of mechanical mo
tion that appeared to 'go on without stopping
forever.
(
"Ah , " she said , "how many souls ore in
torture ! For each one of these little flames
Is a soul that suffers and Is forgiven , IsIt
not ? "
Plorrp was obliged to lean forward to hoar
what she said , for'Che canticle , Bernadette's
compline , had dazed him , now that the
stream of singers passed BO close to where
they wero. The 'voices ' burst Into a growing
giddiness , thoi vferies bdcame mixed , each
division of the procession singing its own In
a melody of ecstatic .bliss that seemed as
though possessed and hearing only them
selves. 'It was atf jmmenso , Indistinct clam
oring the lost cfainor of a crowd about to
become drunk by the ardor of tholr own
faith. And ever' ' as they sang the .refrain ,
"Avo ! Ave ! Ave ! Maria ! " returned , dominat
ing with its rhythm of possessive frenzy ,
Plorro and Marie were .greatly surprised to
suddenly see M. de Guersalnt.appear.
"Ah , my children , I did not wish to get
belated up there , so I have trossed through' '
the procession twice to get here. But what
a sight ! It certainly Is the first really flne
thing I have seen since I arrived here. "
And ho began to describe the procession as
he had seen It from the heights of the Cal
vary :
"Just Imagine , my dear children , another
sky below reflecting the one above , but n sky
with but a single constellation , Immense , cn
tlro. Those myriads of stars looked very far
off In the sombre depths , and the stream of
flro looked exactly like n monstrance yes.
Indeed , a true monstrance , the face of which
was represented by the ramparts , the
branches by t'he two parallel paths , and the
host by the round grass plot that crowns
them. It was like a monstrance of bur
nished gold , that beamed through the dark
ness with the perpetual sparkling of living
stars. There was no other Idea it was
gigantic and supreme. Indeed , I have never
seen anything so extraordinary. "
Ho waved his rms , beside himself with
his artistic emotion. '
"Dear little father/ said Marie , tenderly ,
"as you have come bock you really ought to
go to bed. It Is noa'rly 11 o'clock and you
know you start at 2 In the morning. "
She added decisively : "It gives me such
pleasure to have you make this excursion ,
only be back early tomorrow evening , be
cause you will see you will see "
She did not dare afilrm her certainty of
being cured.
"You are right. I will go to bed , " said M.
de Guersalnt , qulto quiet now. "So long as
Pierre Is with you I am not worried. "
"But , " she cried , "I do not wish Plerro to
pass the whole night with me. When ho has
taken mo to the grotto presently he will Join
you. I shall need no one. The first litter
bearer who comes tomorrow morning will
take mo back to the hospital. "
Plorro was silent , then said simply : "No ,
no , Marie , I shall stay , I Intend to pass the
night , as you do , before the grotto. "
She opened her lips to speak * * to Insist , to
'
remonstrate , but he ha'd said it so gently
that she could perceive a sorrowful thirst for
happiness that possessed him , so she held
her peace , touched to her very heart.
"Well , children , " continued the father ,
"take care of yourselves. I know you tare
both very'sensible. . So-good night. Do not
worry about me. "
He kissed his daughter fervently , pressed
the young priest's hands , and went off , soon
lost to view In the ranks of the procession
that he once moro passed between.
They were quite alone In that shadowy ,
solitary corner , under the great trees ; she
as ever lying back In her llttlo cart , he
kneeling down on tlio grass , leaning his
elbow on one of the wheels. It was
heavenly , and all Jlie time the strings of
candle lights went on and then gathered all
together In the Place du Ilosalre. What
delighted Plerro was the sensation that
there no longer remained In Lourdes any
trace of the tippling that had gone on there
all day. It was as1 though n purifying wind
from the mountains had swept away those
noxious smells or cooking nnd eating , those
gluttonous Joys of Sunday , the burning and
poltonous dust tlrat floated over the town ,
Now nothing could bo seen save the Im
mense sky with - Its pure stars , and the
fresh moisture from the Gave was delicious ,
bringing on Its soft mists the odor of strange
wild flowers , The Infinite mystery was
merged in the sovereign peace of night , and
there remained nothing of the heavy mornIng -
Ing but the little candle flames , that his
companion had , compared to suffering souls
about to bo released. Itwas an exquisite
state of reposal and an Illimitable hopo.
Shico ho had como up here all the disagree
able memories -at the afternoon , the
voracious appetites , the Importuning of the
beggars , the spoiled and prostituted condi
tion of the old town , nil these had vanished
one by ono , to leave only the souse of divine
refreshment' In thin heavenly night , when
his whole being was bathed as It wcro In the
waters of resurrection.
Marie , too , was penetrated by this fooling
of Infinite gentleness and murmured
tenderly , ' 'Oh , , how happy It would make
Bluncho to aeo ull these wonderful things ! ' *
She was thinking about her slater , whom
she had left behind In Paris , In the toll of
her hard profession , teaching to gain a
living. That simple word the slitor of
whom aho had not spoken since her arrival
nt Lourdes , unheeded , yet surging under
the calm exterior was sufficient to evoke
the memory of the pist.
Thus Marie and Pierre without saying a
word lived over again their childhood the
ardent games In the. two gardens , barely
separated by the low hedge. Then came th
parting , that -day when he entered thu ucin-
inary and she had kUted his cheeks , vowing
through her burning tears never to forgot
him. Years ptneil on , and they ware
eternally separated ; ho , it prlastf she ,
stricken by Illness nnd with nil hope of
boltiR a woman gene for orer. Tlmt wns
their whole story , nn ardent tenderness lee
long overlooked. , then the totaf rupture , as
though thjii- had bath died , though they
really lived near to one another. And onoo
mcro they reviewed the wretched home ,
Which the eldest sister tried by her teaching
to make bearable ; the wretched lodging they
had left to nmko thin trip to Lourdes , nfter
so much Ktrungllng , so many discussions ,
with his own doubts nnd her firm faith Unit
had conquered. It wns truly delicious to
find themselves thus together In that dark
corner on such n perfect night , when there
seemed to bo ns many stnrs on the earth us
In heaven.
Marie had till now retained her Innocent ,
clear nnd blameless , childlike nature , the
best and purest , said her father. Cut down
at the ngo of 13 by her accident , she had
never grown nny older. Today nt 23 she
\vn still nt heart 13 , always infantine and
backward all by rcnson of the catastrophe
that had annihilated her. It wns plainly
visible In her vacant eyes , her absent look
and nlr of nbscntmlndodneflg , as though she
was Incapable of wishing for anything more.
Surely no woman's nature was simpler ,
stopped ns she had been In her very de
velopment she had remained a great girl ,
well behaved , In whom her waking passion
was satisfied by great kisses on the cheek.
She had no other romance than the tearful
farewell she had made to her friend , and
that had filled her being for ten years. Dur
ing the interminable days that she hnd
passed on her bed of pain she never went
further than that dream. Had she been In
good frealth he would never have become a
priest , but they would have lived together.
She never read romances. The pious books
they gave her maintained her spirit in the
exaltation of a superhuman love. Even
worldly sounds ceased at the door of the
room where she was ns If cloistered. And
when in former days they used to take her
from one end of Franco to the other , from
one bath to another , she seemed like a
somnambulist , who neither saw nor heard
anything beyond the fixed Idea of her Ina
bility , the tlo that bound her to her sex.
All this purity and childishness had kept
this lovely , suffering girl , grown only In her
sad physical state. In a condition of mind
wherein the awakening of love was as far
nway as though she were still 13.
Marie's hand stole through the darkness to
take Pierre's , and when she met It coming
toward her own she pressed it for a long
time. Ah , what Joy ! They had never tasted
so pure and perfect a Joy , to bo thus to
gether , far from the world , In this sovereign
eign charm of shadow and mystery. Around
them was only the circle of stars. Even the
songs of the pilgrims Intoxicated them as
they were wafted to their cars. She felt
KI > surp that she would bo cured the next
day when she had passed n night of happi
ness in front of the grotto It became an
absolute conviction she would make the
Holy Virgin listen. She would Implore her
from the moment they were face to face ,
and nothing would prevent. She understood
now what Pierre had meant awhile ago ,
when ho had expressed a desire to pass the
entire night also before the grotto. Was It
not because ho had resolved to try for a
supreme effort of relief that he was thus
going to kneel like a little child and implore
the Almighty Mother to give him back his
lost faith ? Even now their clasped hands
repeated these things without saying any
further words. They promised to pray for
each other , to forget self for that other self
with so great a longing to bo cured in the
mutual'happiness that in that moment they
touched upon a divine love that asks only
to bo sacrificed. It was a heavenly enjoy
ment.
"Ah ! " murmured ' Pierre , ' 'this lovely night ,
with Its 'shadows that cover over nil the
hideous persons and things ; this immense
refreshing pence. In which I would gladly
assuage my doubts. "
His voice sank. Marie said presently very
softly :
"And the roses , the perfume of the roses.
Do you not smell them , my dear friend ?
Where are they , that you were unable to
flnd them ? "
"Yes , yes , I smell them , but there are no
roses. I should certainly have scon them ,
for I looked for them everywhere. "
"How can you say there arc no roses ,
when they arc filling the air around us with
their fragrance and we are bathed In their
perfume ? There are moments when the odor
Is so powerful that I nm faint with Joy , Just
to breathe it. They must be here , myriads
nt our very feet. "
"No ; I declare I have looked everywhere.
There are no roses , or else they must bo
Invisible ; they must be the grass on which
wo tread , these great trees nbovo us , or
their odor must come from the ground itself ,
or from the stream yonder , from the moun
tains and from the woods. "
They were silent for a moment , then she
repeated In an undertone :
"How good they smell , Pierre ! It seems
ns though our united hands held a bouquet. "
"Yes , they do smell delicious ; but It Is
from you , yourself , Mnrle. that the perfume
comes , ns though the roses were growing In
your hair. "
They no longer spoke. The procession still
advanced , the brilliant sparks still showed
rounding the Basilica , sparkling through the
obscurity like an inexhaustible spring. The
Immense stream of llttlo moving flames In
their double circle striped the darkness like a
ribbon of fire . The spectacle was finest on
the Place du Rosaire , where the head of the
procession , continuing Its slow evolution ,
doubled on Itself , making circles within-cir
cles , In a kind of endless ball that finally
dazzled the pilgrims and Increased their
songs. Soon the circle was llko a burning
ball , a ball of fire round which ran the blaz
ing ribbon , whose end was unseen , and as
the bluze increased the circle became a pond ,
then a lako. The whole great square of the
Rosary was changed Into u sea of flro , with
Its shining waves , bubbling like a whirlpool
tiiat never ceased. A reflection like that
of an aurora lighted the Basilica. The rest
of the horizon was dark. Apart , a few Iso
lated candles might be seen far on the roads , ,
and some persons picking their way by
means of tholr llttlo lanterns. Far up on
the jrount of Calvary the tall end of the pro
cession seemed to be lost , for stars were
traveling along up there almost In the open
sky. Then there came n moment when the
last candles appeared , went round the grass
plots , floated nnd were swallowed up In the
sea. , , of flames. Thirty thousand candles
were burning there , turning and flickering
under the great , 'calm sky , whose very stars
seemed pale. A luminous mist carried up
the hymns , whose penetrating sounds never
stopped. And the voices sang"Ave ! Ave !
Ave Maria ! " that sounded llko the crackling
of these hearts of flro that were being con
sumed by tholr prayers to deliver souls from
misery.
One by ono the candles wont out , night
fell with nil Its power , very dark nnd very
soft , yet Plerro and Marie found themselves
still sitting there , hidden beneath the mys
teries of the trees , their hands Intertwined ,
Far away in the obscure streets of Lourdes
there were only pilgrims who had lost their
way , asking to bo shown the road to their
lodgings. Rustlings moved the shadowy
loaves , nil that prowled about had gone to
rest at the end of this fete day. But they
remained , lost to thought , motionless , do-
llclously happy In the midst of that In
effable perfume of roses that did not exist.
CHAPTER IV.
Plerro pushed Marie's cart as far as the
grotto , and then placed It ns clone ns pos
sible to the grating. It wns after midnight.
About 100 people were there , some of them
sitting on the benches , but the greater num
ber kneeling , ns though transfixed In prayer.
From outside the grotto looked like some
cbapelle ardentc , with Its shining candles ,
through whoso starllko brilliancy emerged
the statue of the Virgin , whlto and placid an
n dream. The trailing vines seemed to
shine llko emeralds , the thousands of
crutches that lined the vault looked llko a
trellis of dead wood about to bloom again.
The night appeared darker by this bright
light , the surrounding objects wore drowned
In the thick shade where no longer existed
either walls or trees ; while the solitary
voice of the Gave , with Us flowing waters ,
from which came such a refreshing damp
ness , gave presage of an Impending utorm
under the calm summer sky.
"Aro you comfortable. Marie ? " asked
Pierre softly , "are you cold ? "
Bhe had shivered , but It was only the
little breeze that seemed to whisper from
over the grotto : . . . . . .
"No , no ; I am very well off , Just put the
shawl over my knees. Thank you , Pierre ,
do not worry about mo. I do not need any
one also since I have Her. "
Her voice sank In ecstasy , her hands
clasped , her even raised to the white statue
In a beatific transfiguration of her entire
poor little sick face.
Pierre had , however , retrained by her side
for a. few moments. He would greatly
have liked to vrrap her In her sbawl , for he
saw htr thin llttl * hands tremble , nut ho
.feared to IrrlUIa her , and to was willing to
humor lirr like a child , although ; as she sat
with hr two elbown on the cdgo of her cnrt ;
h seemed no longer to bo aware of his
presence.
A bench stood ncur , and us he sat down lo
think n while himself liiu eyes fell on a
wrman kneeling In the shadow dressed In
black ; she wait no slight , no obliterated , so
Insignificant , thnt tit first ho hat ) nut per
ceived her , she wan so completely swallowed
up In the darkness. Then he recognized her
to bo Mmo. Maze. The recollection of the
Utter he had received during the day made
him pity her. Ho realized her despair ,
this solitary creature , wio | hnd no physical
Ills to cure , but only asked the Holy Virgin
to console the sorrow of her heart by con-
virlliiR her unfaithful husband. The letter
doubtless contained some harsh answer , for
her face bent forward , she appeared to bo
humiliated and annihilated llko some down
trodden creaturci She only came to th (
giotlo at night , glail to forget herself nnd
feel able to weep there for hours , enduring
her martyrdom , Imploring for a return of
his tenderness , yet unpercelved by anybody.
Her lips even did not move. It wns her
broken heart that prayed , that bogged to
rctsras once again her share of love and of
happiness.
Ah ! It was that thirst for happiness that
brought them nil lo this spol , these wounded
hecrts nnd bodies ; and Pierre fell his throat
fill with the ardent desire to be satisfied.
Ho longed to throw himself on his knees
and Itnploro divine aid , as this poor woman
was doliiR. But his limbs seemed bound ,
no he was glad when ho felt some one touo'j
his arm.
„
"Come with me , nbbe , if you have not
scn the grollo. 1 will show you aboul , II
Is so pleasant Ihero nt this hour. "
Raising his head , he recognized Baron
Suire , the director of the Hospitality of Our
Lady of . Salvation. This charming and
simple minded man hnd no doubt taken a
farcy to Pierre , who accepted , and followed
him Into the grollo , which was entirely
eirpty. The baron even closed behind them
Lhe grating , of which ho had a key.
"You sue , nbbe , this Is lhe lime when one
Is really well off here. When I come my
self lo pass several days nl Lourdes I
seldom gel lo bed before daylight , as I have
the habit of finishing the night here. There
Is no ono left nnd one can bo alone. How
delightful It Is , and how truly near to the
Holy Virgin ono feels ! "
He smiled good nnturedly. for ho was
doing the honors of the grotto , as an old
habitue , slightly enfeebled by age , but filled
with a real affection for this charming
corner. But In spile of Ihls greal devotion
he was not nt all 111 at ease there , and gave
his explications with the famlllarlly of a
man who feels himself to be on godd terms
with heaven.
"Oh , you nre looking nt the candles.
There nre about 200 that burn nt n time , tiny
and night , and It really warms the placo.
In winter even it Is quite warm. "
Indeed Pierre felt ralhcr overcome by
Iho close smell of lhe wax. When he first
entered ho had been dazzled by the strong
light , but now he looked at the center tri
angular candleRllck. shaped like a pyramid
coirplelely stuck full of small candles , like
a flaming candlestick , a constellation of
stars. Beyond , lo lhe right , another tri
angle with sun rays hold large candles tlul
formed lines of unequal heights , like organ
pipes , some of them as thick as a leg ; still
other candlesticks , shaped like a heavj
candelabra , were placsd here and there em
the Jultlng rocks. The celling of the grotto
was lower on the left side , so the stone
looked as If baked and blackened by the
eternal flames that had burned for so many
years. The wax ran down like a continual
fall of snow , the rims of the Irlangular
candlesticks were running over , while wllh
a Ihtck dusl ; the whole rocky vault was
smeared with grease , and the ground was so
covered by It that frequent accidents oc
curred , and a kind of straw mats had lo
be put about on the floor lo prevent tumbles.
"Do you see these large ones ? " continued
Baron Sulro obligingly. "They are the dear
est ; they cost 60 francs and take a month
to burn. Those lltlle ones that cost 6 sous
only last three hours. Oh ! wo do not econo
mize , for we are never short of candles.
Look , there are two baskets full thai the }
have not had time to carry nway to the
shop. "
Ho Ihen proceeded to show the furniture.
An organ , covered over with a slip cover ; a
large chest of drawers , where the vestments
were kept ; the benches and chairs reservcc
for the small number of privileged persons
admitted during the ceremonies , and flnallj
showed a very handsome movable altar , cov
ered with panels of engraved silver , the
gift of some great lady , thai was only ex
posed nt the season of rich pilgrimages , for
fear the dampness should spoil It.
Pierre felt annoyed by the gossip of this
complaisant man. His religious emotion lost
Ils charm. When he enlcred ho had experi
enced an emotion , notwithstanding his lack
of faith , as If the mysterious were about to
be revealed. It was nt once bitter and
sweet. He was greally touched by many
things he sow the heaps of bouquets thrown
at the Virgin's feet , lhe childish "ex-volos , "
little soiled shoes , a small Iron brace , a doll-
like crutch , almost like a toy. Underneath
the natural pinnacle whore the apparition
had taken place , at Iho spot where the
pilgrims rubbed the bonds and medals they
wished to consecrate , the rook was much
worn and polished. Millions of fervent lips
had been pressed there , with mich a force
of love that the stone had become polished
llko a bit of marble , veined wllh black
slreaks. They slopped in front of a. hole , In
which was a considerable heap of letters
and papers of all kinds.
"Ahl I was forgetting , " quickly said
Baron Suire. "This is most interesting.
These nre the letters thnt nre thrown every
day by the faithful Into the grotto through
the grating. They are picked up and placed
hero , and in wlnlor I amuse myself deslroy/-
Ing them. You know we cannot burn them
without opening them first , for they often
contain money ten sous pieces , Iwenly sous
pieces , and mosl frequently postage stamps. "
Ho put his hand in among the letters and
pulled one out by chance , looked at lhe super-
scrlpllon and unsealed U lo read It. Nearly
all were poorly written and badly spelled ,
and the address , "To Our Lady of Lourdes , "
was Invariably written In large , uneven lot-
tors. Many contained requests or thanks ,
Incorrectly expressed and with a most ex
traordinary orthography. Many of these re
quests were mosl touching such as a llttlo
brother lo bo saved , a suit to be. won , a
lover to be retained or a marriage concluded.
Other letters were angry , filled with ro-
proachco to the Holy Virgin , who had not
been polite enough to answer a former letter
by granting the wishes of the subscriber.
Then there were still others , better written ,
better expressed , containing confessions ,
burning 'prayers ' , women's souls writing to
the Queen of Heaven what they did not dare
to toll to a priest In the shadow of the con
fessional. * Finally , ono envelope , selected
at random , contained merely u photograph
n young girl sending her picture to Our Lady
of LourdcH , with this dedication , "To My
Good Mother. " In fact , each day brought
the largo mall of any powerful Queen , who
received supplications and confessions , and
who was expected to beslow favors and
honors of every sort. The 10 sous , the 20
sous pieces were simply love tokens to tend
her toward them , and as for the postage
stamps , they could only bo used as u con
venient means to send money , unless they
were sent In the actual Innocent Idea , like
one peasant woman , who wrote that she enclosed -
closed a stamp , hoping for a reply.
"I assure you there are some very nice
onos. " concluded the baron , "much less
stupid than you would think. For three
years I have found letters from n very inter
esting lady , who does nothing without telling
nil about It to the Holy Virgin. She Is a ;
married woman , and she had u most danger
ous passion for a frlond of her husband.
Well , Abbe , she overcame rt. The Holy Vir
gin answered her by sending her the armor
of chastity , a divine strength to resist the
wishes of her heart , " [
He Interrupted himself here to say :
"Come and sit down here , Abbe. Just see
how comfortable ono can be hero. "
Plerro sat down boslde him to the left , Just
where the rock declined , U was Indeed a
corner for delicious repose. Neither of
them spoke and a profound silence
reigned , whan he heard behind his back an
Indistinct murmur , a light crystal volco that
scorned to come from the Invisible. He
made a movement that Baron Sulro under
stood , :
"U Is the spring you hear , U l Just there
In the ground behind the grating. Would
you llko to see It ? "
Without waiting for Pierre to assent , he
had already stooped down to open ono of the
panels that protected It , observing at the
lame time that It was kept closed thus for
fear that some free thinker might throw
poison into the water. This extraordinary
flight of Imagination qulto dumbfounded the *
priest for a moment , but h placed It to the
1 Baron's credit , for ho w o often very child-
Ilka. Ho wns strugi-llnr with the patent
combination lo k that wonhl nol yleM.
"It l.i very strange , " he murmured ; "tho
password M 'Korm ? , ' -ami I m nro It ha
not been changed. But the ilnmpne * * ruins
ovcrythlnK. We nro obliged to renew tha
rrtitrhe * on the celling every two years , for
they fall Into dust. Ketch me A candle. "
When Plerro had brought a Hunted candl *
that he took from one of the triangular
stlrhs. ho finally succeeded In opening the
steel lock that was covered with verdigris.
Then the latticed gateway was pushed back
and the spring appeared. It was In a hol
low of the rock , with a muddy bottom , from
which oozed a clear , limpid water , but not
bubbling. It appeared to cover n fairly largs
space , and the baron explained thnt In order
to convey the water to the large fountain It
had been run through pipes covered with ce
ment. He even confessed that behind tha
pools It hnd been necessary to dig a re er-
volr to receive the water during thti nhht ,
for fear the fable How of water should run
short during the daytime.
"Do you care to tnslo lt"he suddenly said.
'It Is much nicer as It comes right from th *
earth. "
Pierre did not answer , ns he looked at th
Innocent water , the quiet water thai reflected
the golden spots of Iho flickering candla
light. Sfine drops of falling wax gave him
n shudder. He thought of nil the uiystory
connected with this stream that flowed from
the mountain side.
"Do drink n glass of It. "
The baron had Illled , by dipping It Into tha
spring , n glass thai was always Ihero , and
the priest was obliged to empty It , The
water wns pure and good ; the transparent ,
fresh streams thnt ripple down from nil the
plateaus of the Pyrenees. They replaced the
lock and both cat down again on the bcnoh.
Plerrn could still hear , at Intervals , the
spring with Its faint blrdllko murmuring ,
and the baron told him all about the Grotto ,
at all Its seasons , nt all times , Ina rambling
sort of way , Illled with puerile -details.
The summer was the moat disagreeable
time , for then came the crowds of anxious
pilgrims , the noisy fervor of thousands of
persons , praying and crying at the same
time. But when the autumn rains cnme--
the floods of raJn that crept up to the very
threshold of the grotto for days together-
then might bo seen the pilgrimages from
far off lands Indians , Malays , even Chinese ,
small , ecstatic yet silent groups , who knelt
down In all the mud at the sign front the
missionary. In France , among all the Old
provinces , Brittany sent the most devout
pilgrims , whole parishes where Iho men
were as great In number ns the women , and
whoso pious looks , simple 'faith nnd decent
manners were formed to edify the rest of
the world. Then winter came , December ,
with Its horrible frosts and heavy falls of
snow that barred the mountains. Families
then took refuge In the hotels and tha faith
ful Btlll cnme every morning to the grotto ;
these who wished to avoid noise , who
wished lo speak alone with the Virgin In the
Intimacy of solitude. There were aU \ soriio
that nobody knew , who only showed them
selves when certain to bo kneeling nlononnd
able to love , llko Jealous lovcra , 'nnd retired
as soon ns any crowd collected near thorn.
And how lovely , thai all through the bad
weather in winter , In the rain , In the wind ,
in the snow , Iho grollo retained Its bright
ness ! Even on stormy , tempestuous nights ,
when there was not a soul abroad , the
darkness wns lighted by Its flames , and they'
burned like a love light Unit nothing could
extinguish. The baron related how Iho
preceding wlnler ho had come during the
heaviest snow storms to pass whole after
noons at this very place , the bench on which
ho was then sitting. A gentle heat was to
bo found , although It faced to the north and
the sun never shone there. No doubt the
rock , by reason of being constantly heated
by the burnttife candles , gave rise to the
warmth , but might It not also bo posslblo
that by a gracious act of the Virgin eternal
April should reign there ? Even the llttlo
birds were aware of It , for when the snow
froze thulr feet nil the neighboring- robins
would seek re/uge within the Ivy that grow
about the holy slalue. But it was at the
awakening of spring , when the Gave rolled
down In thunder loncs wllh its melted
snows , nnd the trees wore taking a green
tinge from the mist , thnt the crowds ones
moro took possession of the sparkling groltp ,
from which they chased the little blrdsr
"Yes , ye/s , " repeated. Baron Siilre , Ina
slow voice , "I come here alone , and pass most
delightful days In winter. I never saw but
ono woman , who always knelt Jusl there ,
ngulnst the grating , so ns not lo kneel In
the snow. She was very young perhaps 23
and very pretty , a brunette , with magnifi
cent blue eyes. She said nothing , not oven
seeming to pray , but remained there for
hours , lerrlbly snd looking. 1 do nol know
who she Is. I have never seen her since. "
He slopped speaking , and when Plerro ,
surprised nt his silence , looked at him , ho
perceived he had gone to sloop. His hands
were clasped on his stomach , his chin on his
cheat , nnd with a vague smile on his face ho
slept' like a child. No doubt when ho said
ho had passed the night there he had meant
to say ho came to take n genllo nap of an old
man and was visited by nngols.
So Pierre enjoyed the delightful sollludo.
It was a very real sensation , the enervating
calm that entered his spirit In this corner of
Iho rock. It wns a mixture of melting wax.
the overpowering ecstasy Into which he had
fallen , In lhe midst of the splendor of the
candles. Ho could no longer clearly dis
tinguish the crutches overhead , nor the "ex-
volo" at the altar , nor even the altar of
engraved silver , nor the hnrmontcum covered
over with a cloth , A slow lassitude seized
him a growing annihilation of his whole
being. And he felt a divine sensation of
being far from the world , of being In Iho
midst of the Incredible nnd superhuman , as
It the plain Iron grating had become the
barrier of the Innnlto Itself.
A small noise nl his lefl attraclod Pierre's
attention. It wns the spring that was run
ning ceaselessly , with Its blrdllko srtund.
Ah ! ho wished ho might fall on his knees
and believe In the miracle , and have Un
certainty that this holy water had sprung
from the rock for the solo purpose of curing
suffering humanity ! Had ho not come to
proslrato himself , to implore the Virgin to
give him back the faith of a llttlo child ?
Why , then , was ho not praying , did ho not
supplicate her to grant him pardon ? Ho
felt moro and moro choked , the candles
dazzled him almost Into a vertigo. And ho
remembered Uiat for two dnys , during the
wldo liberty given to ull priests while nt
Lourdes , he had forgotten to .say mass , Ho
was In a state of sin. Perhaps It wns that
weight that crushed him to the ground I Ho
became so uncomfortable and uneasy thai ho
got up nnd went away. Ho closed the grat
ing softly , leaving Baron Sulro asleep on the
bench. Marie had not moved , but still sat
In her cart half raised on her elbowa , her
ecstatic face looking up at the Virgin.
"Mario , nro you all right ? Are you cold ? "
She did nol answer. Ho fell her bandit ,
nnd found them warm and soft , but agitated
by a slight trembling.
"It Is not the cold that makes you tremble
"
ble , Is It. Marie ? "
Then she answered In a voice faint nnd
low as a whisper :
"No , no ; go away. I nm so happy. I am
going to see Her. J feel It. Ah ! what do-
Ho'pulled the shawl up a little and disap
peared In the darkness , noizcd by some Inexplicable -
explicable trouble. Coming out of the . ,
Btotto'B brightness the darkness wns blnolc . *
as ink , a veil of darkness Into which ho
stumbled. As his eyes became accustomed
to It , ho found that ho was near the Gave ,
BO ho followed the hank , a path shaded by
Kreat trees nnd fresh again wllh river
breezes. Ho felt quieted now by the
shadows nnd catmint ; moisture. He only
relt surprised thai ho was unable to kneel
lown llko Marie , to pray ns she was doing ,
with the abandonment of her whole soul.
What was the obstacle ) In him ? What was
the Irresistible rebellion In him that pro-
wonted him from grasping thnt faith , oven
when he longed to be led thence , desired t
jj possuBsed uy It , wished for such abandon ?
lie understood very well that his reason
ilono protested , and ho longed to destroy
that voracious reason that was dovourltir ;
Ills very life , thnt prevented him from beln , ?
Itappy with the conteutmenl of Ignorant yet
simple souls. Perhaps If he actually saw a
miracle ho would have the strength to be
lieve. For example. If Marie were sud
denly to rlso and walk before him would ho
not prostrate himself as finally overcome ?
Hie picture he drew of Marie saved , Marie
ured , moved him so greatly that he stopped ,
Ills arms trembled , and he stretched them to
the heavens that wore dotted all over with
stars. Oh , great Qodl what a mysterious
mil wonderful night , perfumed and soft , and
what joy arose In the hope of eternal health
restored , of eternal love , born again In the
Future , like the springtime ! Then walkltiK
jn ho went to the end nf the path. But
Ills doubts relumed. When a miracle In
ieccs ary to Induce ballet It Is because be.
lief la .Impossibly Qed haa never given any