Chapter 1
A Reception At The PrefectureOn a Sunday morning, towards the end of October, Mrs. Dunea received a visit which sent a ripple of excitement through the entire street and brought her neighbours to their gates: Mrs. Rozalia Donciu, the chief magistrate’s wife, was alighting from an official limousine.
Her host was surprised, yet welcomed her with natural simplicity: “I didn’t know you were back. Everyone thought you were in Paris.”
“That’s true, I only came back yesterday. I was supposed to spend the entire winter there, but since he’s suddenly been lumbered with this wretched magistrate post, Constantin can’t cope with everything on his own and sent me a telegram asking me to come back.”
Mrs. Donciu’s manner had a reassuring familiarity − she would say “Constantin” instead of
