"Wait a moment, wait a
moment," she repeated, "let me pass first. I wish to see if all is over."
Then, having entered the other compartment, she raised the strange man's
head, and seeing him so pale, with such blank eyes, she did at first
think him already dead. At last, however, she detected a faint breathing.
"No, no," she then exclaimed, "he still breathes. Quick! there is no time
to be lost." And, perceiving the other Sister, she added: "Sister Claire
des Anges, will you go and fetch Father Massias, who must be in the third
or fourth carriage of the train? Tell him that we have a patient in very
great danger here, and ask him to bring the Holy Oils at once."
Without answering, the other Sister at once plunged into the midst of the
scramble. She was small, slender, and gentle, with a meditative air and
mysterious eyes, but withal extremely active.
Pierre, who was standing in the other compartment watching the scene, now
ventured to make a suggestion: "And would it not be as well to fetch the
doctor?" said he.
"Yes, I was thinking of it," replied Sister Hyacinthe, "and, Monsieur
l'Abbe, it would be very kind of you to go for him yourself."
It so happened that Pierre intended going to the cantine carriage to
fetch some broth for Marie. Now that she was no longer being jolted she
felt somewhat relieved, and had opened her eyes, and caused her father to
raise her to a sitting posture. Keenly thirsting for fresh air, she would
have much liked them to carry her out on to the platform for a moment,
but she felt that it would be asking too much, that it would be too
troublesome a task to place her inside the carriage again.
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