Awakening in the darkened alcove of a strange room illuminated by green lanterns, Meaulnes finds his joints stiff and cold, but his knee is healed and he decides to attend the dinner as an uninvited guest. The room is furnished with coats, a shattered washstand, and boxes containing antiquated garments from the early part of the century. Changing out of his wet heavy boots into fine patent leather pumps and donning a long pleated collar coat over his school blouse, he ventures outside into the chill night air of a ruined, desolate courtyard. Despite the crumbling buildings and broken windows, the area holds a mysterious festive atmosphere with colorful reflections and the distant sound of children singing.
While listening near the old buildings, Meaulnes encounters a bizarre young dandy wearing a top hat and formal evening attire who swiftly and mechanically bows before darting away. Intrigued, Meaulnes follows the mysterious figure across a courtyard garden containing a well and a fenced vivier, eventually reaching the threshold of a large central estate building. Slipped inside through a half-open wooden door, he navigates a dark corridor filled with distant laughter and playful shouts, briefly catching sight of two flushed young girls in large bonnets who spin around before vanishing into a lit room behind closed doors.
Feeling out of place and fearing he might be mistaken for a thief in his awkward attire, Meaulnes prepares to turn back toward the exit. However, his path is crossed by two young peasant boys dressed in fine velvet coats and large wool stockings who approach him with childlike trust. When Meaulnes boldly asks about dinner, the boys immediately take him by the hands to lead him to the feast. As they walk, one child mentions the bride that Frantz has gone to fetch, before the trio finally arrives at the threshold of a grand banquet hall featuring long trestle tables, white tablecloths, and a roaring fire where diverse guests are dining with ceremony.