Then she forced herself not to think about his kiss, but to pray.
But somehow the feeling remained there – it was not spirited away from her as she had hoped it would be.
It must have been perhaps twenty minutes or half an hour later that she arose from her knees.
She moved from the Chapel back towards the West door and since she had entered the Madeleine, the central doors had been closed.
She therefore walked to the smaller door at the side.
She was pulling it open, but the door was heavy.
She then became aware that there was a man behind her, who had put out his hand to assist her.
Between them they managed to open the door.
As they did so, Malvina just looked up to thank the stranger who had helped her.
She gave a loud gasp.
It was the Duc de Lavissé.
He looked at her as if
