She was still waiting for Father Massias, astonished at the inexplicable delay in his arrival, but not yet without hope, as Sister Claire des Anges had not returned.
"Pray, Monsieur Ferrand," said she, "tell me if this unfortunate man is in any immediate danger." The young doctor again looked at the sufferer, felt him, and listened to his breathing.

Then with a gesture of discouragement he answered in a low voice, "I feel convinced that you will not get him to Lourdes alive." Every head was still anxiously stretched forward.

If they had only known the man's name, the place he had come from, who he was! But it was impossible to extract a word from this unhappy stranger, who was about to die there, in that carriage, without anybody being able to give his face a name! It suddenly occurred to Sister Hyacinthe to have him searched.

Under the circumstances there could certainly be no harm in such a course.

"Feel in his pockets, Monsieur Ferrand," she said.
The doctor thereupon searched the man in a gentle, cautious way, but the only things that he found in his pockets were a chaplet, a knife, and three sous.