So, Lucile thinks, Gabrielle has the prospect of escape; but in her apartment at the rue des Cordeliers, she sits still and silent, in the conscious postures of pregnant women. Sometimes she cries; this chit Louise Gély trips down the stairs to join her in a few sniffles. Gabrielle is crying for her marriage, her soul and her king; Louise is crying, she supposes, for a broken doll or a kitten run over in the street. Can't stand it, she thinks. Men are better company.
In the apartment on rue des Cordeliers, Gabrielle finds herself in a state of stillness and reflection, embodying the physicality of her pregnancy. Despite the prospect of escape, she is consumed by her emotions, often shedding tears for her marriage, her identity, and her loyalty to the king. Her solitude is interrupted by Louise Gély, who joins her in a brief moment of shared sadness, though their reasons for crying vastly...
