In her fear lest it should be the devil, for her mind was haunted by tales of witchcraft, she began to tell her beads.

And when the light had slowly faded away, and she had crossed the canal and joined Marie and Jeanne, she was surprised to find that neither of them had seen anything whilst they were picking up the wood in front of the Grotto.

On their way back to Lourdes the three girls talked together.

So she, Bernadette, had seen something then?
What was it?
At first, feeling uneasy, and somewhat ashamed, she would not answer; but at last she said that she had seen something white.
* This is a kind of hood, more generally known among the Bearnese peasantry as a _sarot_.

Whilst forming a coif it also completely covers the back and shoulders .-- Trans.
From this the rumours started and grew.