Chapters 29-30 Summary

Hervé Joncour takes his wife, Hélène, to the French Riviera for two weeks. They spend time imagining the son that they hope they will conceive there. They socialize with other guests during the day and then joke about them privately at night. One of these guests is a fur trader who has been to Japan. The night before the Joncours leave the Riviera, Hervé gets up and watches Hélène sleep. She opens her eyes and he tells her that he will always love her.

In September, the silk manufacturers of Lavilledieu meet to decide what to do for the next year's supply of silkworm eggs. The French consulate in Japan has suggested that commercial transactions be halted until Japan is no longer on the brink of a civil war. Medical researcher Louis Pasteur is using the latest...