However, the ward was becoming more peaceful, its heavy darkness had grown less oppressive since Bernadette with her charm had passed through it.

The visionary's little shadow was now flitting in triumph from bed to bed, completing its work, bringing a little of heaven to each of the despairing ones, each of the disinherited ones of this world; and as they all at last sank to sleep they could see the little shepherdess, so young, so ill herself, leaning over them and kissing them with a kindly smile.
THE THIRD DAY I.BED AND BOARD AT seven o'clock on the morning of that fine, bright, warm August Sunday, M.de Guersaint was already up and dressed in one of the two little rooms which he had fortunately been able to secure on the third floor of the Hotel of the Apparitions.

He had gone to bed at eleven o'clock the night before and had awoke feeling quite fresh and gay.

As soon as he was dressed he entered the adjoining room which Pierre occupied; but the young priest, who had not returned to the hotel until past one in the morning, with his blood heated by insomnia, had been unable to doze off until daybreak and was now still slumbering.

His cassock flung across a chair, his other garments scattered here and there, testified to his great weariness and agitation of mind.
"Come, come, you lazybones!" cried M.de Guersaint gaily; "can't you hear the bells ringing ?" Pierre awoke with a start, quite surprised to find himself in that little hotel room into which the sunlight was streaming.