rl said just now: 'Till next year, till next year!'"

It was indestructible illusion, victorious even over certainty, eternal
hope determined not to die, but shooting up with more life than ever,
after each defeat, upon the ruins of everything.

At Chatelherault, Sister Hyacinthe made them say the morning prayer, the
"Pater," the "Ave," the "Credo," and an appeal to God begging Him for the
happiness of a glorious day: "O God, grant me sufficient strength that I
may avoid all that is evil, do all that is good, and suffer without
complaint every pain."

V. THE DEATH OP BERNADETTE--THE NEW RELIGION

AND the journey continued; the train rolled, still rolled along.
At Sainte-Maure the prayers of the mass were said, and at
Sainte-Pierre-des-Corps the "Credo" was chanted. However, the religious
exercises no longer proved so welcome; the pilgrims' zeal was flagging
somewhat in the increasing fatigue of their return journey, after such
prolonged mental excitement. It occurred to Sister Hyacinthe that the
happiest way of entertaining these poor worn-out folks would be for
someone to read aloud; and she promised that she would allow Monsieur
l'Abbe to read them the finish of Bernadette's life, some of the
marvellous episodes of which he had already on two occasions related to
them. However, they must wait until they arrived at Les Aubrais; there
would be nearly two hours between Les Aubrais and Etampes, ample time to
finish the story without being disturbed.

Then the various religious exercises followed one after the other, in a
monotonous repetition of the order which had been observed whilst they
crossed the same plains on their way to Lourdes. They again began the
Rosary at Amboise, where they said the first chaplet, the five joyful
mysteries; then, after singing the canticle, "O loving Mother, bless," at
Blois, they recited the second chaplet, the five sorrowful mysteries, at
Beaugency. Some little fleecy clouds had veiled the sun since morning,
and the landscapes, very sweet and somewhat sad, flew by with a
continuous fan-like motion. The trees and houses on either side of the
line disappeared in the grey light with the fleetness of vague visions,
whilst the distant hills, enveloped in mist, vanished more slowly, with
the gentle rise and fall of a swelling sea. Between Beaugency and Les
Aubrais the train seemed to slacken speed, though it still kept up its
rhythmical, persistent rumbling, which the deafened pilgrim