He only suffered pain by fits and starts, but he had quite lost the use of his legs, which his wife, who accompanied him, moved for him as though they had been dead legs, whenever they became too heavy, weighty like bars of lead.
"Yes, monsieur," he said, "such as you see me, I was formerly fifth-class professor at the Lycee Charlemagne.

At first I thought that it was mere sciatica, but afterwards I was seized with sharp, lightning-like pains, red-hot sword thrusts, you know, in the muscles.

For nearly ten years the disease kept on mastering me more and more.

I consulted all the doctors, tried every imaginable mineral spring, and now I suffer less, but I can no longer move from my seat.

And then, after long living without a thought of religion, I was led back to God by the idea that I was too wretched, and that Our Lady of Lourdes could not do otherwise than take pity on me." Feeling interested, Pierre in his turn had leant over the partition and was listening.
"Is it not so, Monsieur l'Abbe ?" continued M.Sabathier.