The narrator sits by the high fireplace with his returned grandparents, but instead of listening to their stories, his mind is consumed by the absence of Meaulnes. Despite everyone he loves being safe at home, he continues to anxiously listen for any sound from the dark courtyard, secretly hoping for the sudden arrival of his missing companion. Earlier at the station, his grandmother had seen no one resembling Meaulnes, leaving him to brood over his disappointment during the horse-drawn journey back through the frost-whitened countryside. Every distant shout across the deserted hills had sounded like a call from Meaulnes, intensifying his silent longing.
As the household prepares for sleep and the grandfather settles into the cold red guest room, the quiet of the night is suddenly broken by the sound of approaching carriages. A stranger arrives on foot, guiding two vehicles and explaining that he found an unattended horse and carriage belonging to Mr Fromentin wandering leaderless along a road near Saint-Loup-des-Bois. The narrator stares in astonishment at the abandoned rig, viewing it as a mysterious wreckage washed ashore from the adventure of Meaulnes. With no trace of a traveler or even a blanket to be found, the family decides to accept the returned vehicle and quickly devises a reassuring excuse to keep the truth hidden from the grandfather and the local villagers.
For three long days, the family bears their mounting anxiety in secret while the father returns from the farm late at night to discuss the unsettling situation in whispered, worried tones with Millie. They delay writing any news to the mother of Meaulnes, choosing instead to wait while a heavy cloud of uncertainty hangs over the household. The abandoned carriage remains a haunting reminder of the unsolved disappearance, leaving the narrator and his family alone with their deepening fears.