Chapter 14, The Silver Cake Tray Summary

Victorine takes Léonie and Thérèse into the woods behind the house to collect berries. They come across the place where a shrine used to stand. The shrine was dedicated to a saint, perhaps the Virgin Mary. It is situated in a clearing near a steep outcropping of rock and a small stream. Victorine tells the girls that there used to be a tradition among the villagers to bring gifts here and to pray for help. When the new priest arrived he put an end to the worship at the shrine, as well as to the dancing and festivities.

Victorine tells the girls that during the war the original shrine was pulled down and the statue of the saint vanished. Victorine spits on the ground, adding that the Germans also...