Meaulnes returns to the meadow where he left his horse and carriage, only to discover that they are completely gone. Finding the barrier half open and his horse's blanket dropped further up the path, he panics and rushes into the darkness in a frantic attempt to give chase. He stumbles through thorny hedges and muddy ruts, exhausting himself physically and mentally while fruitlessly straining his ears for any sound of the missing vehicle. Eventually, intense pain in his injured knee forces him to stop and reconsider his desperate pursuit.
Realizing the futility of his chase and reasoning that the carriage will eventually be found by someone else, he turns around to retrace his steps toward the house he had previously visited. Seeking an easier route, he enters a deep path flanked by hedges, but poor visibility and confusing forks in the road quickly lead him astray. He tries to cut straight across the fields, but his repeated efforts to navigate the landscape only serve to further obscure his trail and sever his connection to the people he left behind.
Completely discouraged and pushed to the absolute limit of his physical endurance, Meaulnes decides to follow the final path to its end. This leads him to a large, desolate gray prairie containing scattered juniper shadows and a dark, low-lying structure. He approaches the building and discovers it is an abandoned cattle pen and sheepfold with a creaking door and a damp, moldy interior.
Slumping onto the wet straw inside, he curls up in his blouse and feels a deep sense of self-reproach and misery over losing the horse blanket. To escape his freezing discomfort and despair, he turns his thoughts away from his immediate plight and dwells on a cherished childhood vision. He recalls a tranquil green room filled with soft light where a young girl sat sewing near a window, resolving that if he ever encounters such an enchanted place again, he will finally get up and explore it.