Villette

Lucy returns to Rue Fossette. Mrs. Bretton begs her to stay longer, but Lucy does not wish to prolong the pain of leaving. John delivers her to the door and asks if he may write to her occasionally. Lucy accepts but later wonders if she should hope for him to follow through. Lucy’s first night back in the dormitory is restless; she vacillates between reason and feeling, emotions she personifies as women.

Madame Beck, the teachers, and the students enthusiastically welcome Lucy back to the school. The morning after she returns, M. Paul finds her in the kitchen weeping. He attempts to console her, but Lucy asks to be left alone. After breakfast, Ginevra comes to Lucy inquiring about the details of her stay with John—specifically, his reaction to Ginevra’s behavior at the concert. Lucy embellishes the story, making it seem as though John was greatly distressed by Ginevra’s offense.

One day when Lucy is attending M. Paul’s class with her students, a letter arrives from John. M. Paul delivers the letter to Lucy, who stows it away to read later. M. Paul is harsh to the class and several students (and Lucy) cry. M. Paul gives Lucy his handkerchief but then takes it back when he sees her gleefully tossing it in the air as she leaves to go read the letter.