Chapters 7 and 8 Summary

The men are taken inside the house and shown into the kitchen where a fire burns. Monsieur le Comte de Graçay Lucien Antoine de Ladon, the host, apologizes for receiving guests into the kitchen but notes it to be the warmest room in the house. The Count introduces Madame le Vicomtesse de Graçay Marie, his daughter-in-law. Hornblower struggles with his rudimentary and rusty French but manages to stammer introductions. Hornblower immediately notes Marie's dark eyes, auburn hair and simple beauty. He judges her to be about thirty and notes she is stout and decidedly not English. Meanwhile the Count realizes who Hornblower and Bush are, and makes another round of more-proper introductions. The Englishmen are dried off and clothed, and Bush is bundled into bed while Brown remains with the servants in the kitchen. Hornblower joins the Count in...