Very amiable and distinguished in his manners, he did not come to Lourdes in any official capacity, but simply for his pleasure, as so many other people did; and the bright, sparkling smile of a sceptic above all idolatry gleamed in the depths of his fine eyes.

He certainly believed, and bowed to superior decisions; but the Church--the Holy See--had not pronounced itself with regard to the miracles; and he seemed quite ready to dispute their authenticity.

Having lived at Tarbes he was already acquainted with Gerard.
"Ah!" he said to him, "how impressive it is--isn't it ?--this waiting for the trains in the middle of the night! I have come to meet a lady--one of my former Paris penitents--but I don't know what train she will come by.
Still, as you see, I stop on, for it all interests me so much." Then another priest, an old country priest, having come to sit down on the same bench, the Abbe considerately began talking to him, speaking of the beauty of the Lourdes district and of the theatrical effect which would take place by-and-by when the sun rose and the mountains appeared.
However, there was again a sudden alert, and the station-master ran along shouting orders.

Removing his hand from Dr.Bonamy's shoulder, Father Fourcade, despite his gouty leg, hastily drew near.
"Oh! it's that Bayonne express which is so late," answered the station-master in reply to the questions addressed to him.

"I should like some information about it; I'm not at ease." At this moment the telegraph bells rang out and a porter rushed away into the darkness swinging a lantern, whilst a distant signal began to work.
Thereupon the station-master resumed: "Ah! this time it's the white train.