Chapter 4 : Rose-d'Amour (Summary)

The narrator contrasts the constrained and heavily monitored lives of wealthy city demoiselles with her own freedom as a working class girl. Free from constant surveillance and strict parental oversight, she began an innocent and joyful romance with Bernard by the time she was fourteen and he was seventeen. Their courtship consisted of simple pleasures, such as walking together on Sundays, picking wild flowers, eating hot milk in nearby villages, and sharing lighthearted playful disputes. Supported by their understanding parents and the local community, the young couple grew deeply attached to each other, fully anticipating a lifetime of shared happiness. As the years passed and Bernard reached the age of twenty while the narrator turned seventeen, their families began discussing marriage plans. However, these prospects were abruptly threatened by the impending military conscription of eighteen forty. Although Bernard parents possessed some property, the soaring cost of hiring a military substitute—estimated at three thousand francs—proved to be far too expensive for them to afford. Consequently, the families resolved to leave Bernard fate entirely to the random draw of the ballot, forcing the young couple to face the agonizing prospect of a seven year separation. On the day of the drawing, Bernard drew an unfortunate number nineteen, plunging the narrator and her family into deep despair. As the pale and shaken Bernard prepared to leave, the narrator nearly collapsed from grief before her father gently supported her and instructed Bernard to escort her home. Despite attempts by the old Sans Souci to maintain a lighthearted facade and offer comforting words, both families recognized the severity of the situation and gathered that evening to deliberate on what course of action to take next.