Villette

Seven weeks pass with no letter from John Graham or communication from La Terrasse. Lucy languishes under the silence and compares herself to a hermit locked away in solitude. She has trouble sleeping, plagued with nightmares. Lucy tries to distract herself with sewing, reading, and studying German, but these practices fail to keep her depression at bay. Lucy rereads the five letters from John to bring her comfort.

One night Ginevra returns from a dinner with her uncle, de Bassompierre, and tells Lucy that Mrs. Bretton and Dr. John were there as well. M. de Bassompierre’s daughter Paulina is the young lady injured in the fire and the same Polly who stayed at Bretton many years ago. Ginevra’s uncle has become a very powerful man due to an inheritance. John has been making regular visits to check on Paulina’s injuries. Ginevra disparages John’s relationship with his mother, causing Lucy to rebuff her unkind words and leave the room.

The next day a letter for Lucy finally arrives, but it is from Mrs. Bretton, inviting Lucy to visit. She tells Lucy that John has been very busy with his patients and relates a humorous story about putting the blue turban on John’s head while he was sleeping.