Segments 10, 11, 12 Summary

The narrator relives the initial meeting as the lover left the car—she recalls the palpable moment of loss. Soon enough the narrator is a more-or-less kept woman; she and her lover spend private time. He has vast wealth, has traveled through Paris and France, and recalls the Parisian nightlife with great affection. Yet his father refuses to allow the lover to marry the "little white shore from Sadec" (p. 35). Upon the first meeting the narrator knows the lover is afraid of her, knows she has ultimate power over him. Even as she immerses herself in her lover's affections, the narrator slowly is severed from her family. This removal is partly voluntary, partly the result of her actions. At first, the relationship is casual but quickly it becomes centered on sexual intercourse. After only a few days, he takes her to his...