“Let us go down,” he said; “the lady is near and awaits us.”

They met her a few steps farther down the road in company with Langelley, whom Chauvel introduced to Delaitre.  The latter immediately offered his arm to Mme. Acquet:  Chauvel, Langelley and the “nephew Delaitre” followed at some distance.  They passed the bridge and walked along by the river under the trees of the great promenade, talking all the time.  It was now quite dark.

Captain Delaitre “after having given Mme. Acquet her mother’s compliments, informed her of the latter’s intentions concerning her going to England or the isles.”  But the young woman flatly rejected the proposal; she was, she said, “quite safe with her friend’s father, within reach of all her relations, and she would never consent to leave Caen, where she had numerous and devoted protectors.”  The Captain objected that this determination was all the more to be regretted since “the powerful personage who was interesting himself in the fate of his own people, demanded that she should have quitted France, before he began to seek Mme. de Combray’s release.”  To which Mme. Acquet replied that she should never alter her decision.

The discussion lasted about half an hour.  The Captain having mentioned a letter of Mme. de Combray’s of which he was the bearer, Mme. Acquet turned to Langelley and asked him to escort her to an inn, where she might read it.  They crossed the bridge following Langelley up the Rue de Vaucelles, and stopped at an inn situated about a hundred yards above the Hotel du Pare.  Mme. Acquet and her companions entered the narrow passage and went up-stairs to a room on the first floor, where they seated themselves at a table, and Langelley ordered wine and biscuits.  The young woman took the Marquise’s letter from the Captain’s hands; all those around her were silent and watched attentively.  They noticed that “she changed colour at every line and sighed.”

“When do you start?” she asked Delaitre, wiping her eyes.

“Very early to-morrow,” he replied.

She heaved another great sigh and began to read again.  She became very nervous, and seemed about to faint.  When she had finished the letter, she questioned Delaitre anew.

“You know for certain, sir, what this letter contains?”

“Yes, Madame; your mother read it to me.”

She was silent for “more than two minutes”; then she said as if she were making a great effort: 

“One must obey one’s mother’s orders.  Well, Monsieur, I will go with you.  Will you not wait till to-morrow evening?”