
In the wake of a recent war, a weary veteran named Georges Elpémor finds himself escorting a mysterious young woman, Mlle Dimbre, through the sun‑drenched outskirts of Marseille. Their uneasy carriage ride is filled with quiet observations—her careful handling of multiple suitcases, the scar on his hand, and the lingering shadows of a conflict that still haunts their thoughts. As the landscape rolls by, the two strangers exchange tentative remarks about the war’s endless echo and the fragile peace that clings to everyday life.
Soon the pair reaches a small town, where Georges’ sense of duty and Mlle Dimbre’s enigmatic composure begin to intertwine. Their conversation hints at personal losses, lingering loyalties, and a tentative promise of companionship amid a world still scarred by battle. Listeners are invited to follow their cautious steps toward a connection that may prove as delicate and resilient as the platan trees lining the road.
Language
fr
Duration
~5 hours (316K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
France: Nouvelle revue française, 1923.
Credits
Laurent Vogel and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Books project.)
Release date
2023-03-15
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1882–1947
A French novelist and journalist remembered for clear-eyed psychological fiction, he won the Prix Goncourt in 1926 for Le Supplice de Phèdre. His work often explored love, marriage, and social ambition with a sharp but readable style.
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