Section 21 Summary

"The Silence before the Storm"

The title of this section is based on an excerpt from its quote, a section from a poem by William Wordsworth in which he refers to a sense of power gathering before a windstorm.

Vermont, May 1796. Four years after leaving France for America, the Bishop has been reduced to selling land to French immigrants - the American authorities, while respecting his background, are all too aware of the charges of treason awaiting him in France and have given him no political or social room to do more than just survive. He has, however, received a letter from Germaine, last heard of in Section 9 as having escaped the terror, now back in France and more politically active than ever. In it she promises him safety and prosperity if he returns. Narration reveals that he has made plans to do...