Table of Contents
Prologue
It began, as such things often do in the early years of one's life, with a chance encounter within the walls of our modest schoolroom. Tw... Read Chapter
I
In the distant horizon of my childhood memories, there is one thread that stands out with the clarity of a sunlit morning. When I reached... Read Chapter
II
Papa's discourse on the subject of defeatists, however, piqued my curiosity. It was not merely the novelty of the term that captivated me... Read Chapter
III
My parents discussed at length about the various branches of the Goulet family, recalling the information obtained from close friends and... Read Chapter
IV
The first few times I visited Liliane's home on Rue de Condé, I was utterly dumbfounded. The house was a whirlwind of activity, with not... Read Chapter
V
In the following year of 1870, Paris found itself poised on the precipice of a violent transformation. After the inevitability of war wit... Read Chapter
VI
One morning, after arriving at school, I found the teachers and pupils all taking refuge in the basement of the building. My parents and ... Read Chapter
VII
The pleasures I experienced in those halcyon days were boundless in their profusion, yet eluded the grasp of simple description, much lik... Read Chapter
VIII
On the fourteenth of July, we took part in the national celebration of Bastille Day. The mood on the streets was sombre and resigned, and... Read Chapter
IX
Months had passed since I had almost been separated from Liliane. In that time, my parents, compelled by a series of events that seemed t... Read Chapter
X
Around the same time, Liliane frequently invited me to her own apartment. Being more spacious and airy than my own, it offered us a place... Read Chapter
XI
Once, however, she hurt me bitterly. It left a wound I felt lingering like a shadow for the entire school holiday. That particular year, ... Read Chapter
XII
Today, the fog of time has lifted, and I find myself understanding the suspicion that clouded the eyes of that resentful woman. The truth... Read Chapter
XIII
Nevertheless, when at last I returned to the smoke-veiled spires of Paris, a suffocating panic seized me. My mind swirled with relentless... Read Chapter
XIV
The adults who loomed large in our young lives wore their past experiences like tarnished armour, their bitterness a patina of disappoint... Read Chapter
XV
The closing days of that school term brought the greatest joy and elation of my childhood. It was Madame Goulet herself who extended the ... Read Chapter
XVI
I had expected Liliane to be waiting for me at the station in Nevers when I stepped onto the platform, squinting in the afternoon sun. Th... Read Chapter
XVII
As we neared the estate, its stately façade loomed forbiddingly larger, casting long shadows across the gardens. I took a deep breath, s... Read Chapter
XVIII
In the dimly lit halls, the faint notes of a piano's melodies rippled through the air, accompanied by the sweet voices of children singin... Read Chapter
XIX
Liliane didn't mention Philippe during the days that followed, and I didn't dare to be the first to bring him up. Each morning, she knock... Read Chapter
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