E. A. Vizetelly,--M. Zola's representative for all
English-speaking countries. "Lourdes" forms the first volume of the
"Trilogy of the Three Cities," the second being "Rome," and the third
"Paris."
LOURDES
THE FIRST DAY
I
PILGRIMS AND PATIENTS
THE pilgrims and patients, closely packed on the hard seats of a
third-class carriage, were just finishing the "Ave maris Stella," which
they had begun to chant on leaving the terminus of the Orleans line, when
Marie, slightly raised on her couch of misery and restless with feverish
impatience, caught sight of the Paris fortifications through the window
of the moving train.
"Ah, the fortifications!" she exclaimed, in a tone which was joyous
despite her suffering. "Here we are, out of Paris; we are off at last!"
Her delight drew a smile from her father, M. de Guersaint, who sat in
front of her, whilst Abbe Pierre Froment, who was looking at her with
fraternal affection, was so carried away by his compassionate anxiety as
to say aloud: "And now we are in for it till to-morrow morning. We shall
only reach Lourdes at three-forty. We have more than two-and-twenty
hours' journey before us."
It was half-past five, the sun had risen, radiant in the pure sky of a
delightful morning. It was a Friday, the 19th of August. On the horizon,
however, some small, heavy clouds already presaged a terrible day of
stormy heat. And the oblique sunrays were enfilading the compartments of
the railway carriage, filling them with dancing, golden dust.
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