Adeline begins her story when she is 7, living with her "parents" in Paris. She travels from their home to a convent in Paris at age 7, and at age 12 travels to a second convent.
Because she refuses to stay at the convent, her father retrieves her, and drives her to his home "a few leagues on the other side of Paris." Adeline describes this journey: "We entered upon a gloomy and unfrequented road. It was evening when we reached a wild heath. Night came on before we reached our place of destination; it was a lone house on the waste." It is at this home that she is "rescued" by La Motte (36)*.
From here, Adeline's journey mirrors La Motte's. Once La Motte decides to allow Adeline to accompany him, the "ruffians" drive him and his family 45 minutes away from the house. It is not known what direction they traveled (this probably would have been approximately 4 miles away, given the maximum speed a horse and buggy could travel) (7).
They proceed through the night, and in at daybreak they are in “a land confined by high banks and overarched by trees" (9). They pass through open champaign country for "many leagues," after which they breakfast at an unnamed village (10). Later, Louis identifies this village as D--, where La Motte writes a letter to Nemours (67).
After breakfast, they travel until approximately 2:00, where they come to a "deep valley, watered by a rivulet, and overhung with wood." They eat dinner here (10). This, perhaps, took place around V-- where Louis asks for them and is directed to Monville (67).
Three hours after sunset, they arrive in Monville where they stay at an inn (11). It is in this inn that Adeline awakes in the morning with a fever and requires everyone to delay their journey for "a few days" (13). After these few days, they travel to "B--," described as "a village out of the great road." They spend the night here, and continue their journey across a "wild and woody tract of country" (13).
They stop at "about noon at a solitary village," where they take refreshments (this is "L--" where Louis observes scribbling on the glass of the inn, 67), and here obtrained directions for "passing the vast forest of Fontainville, upon the borders of which they now were" (13).
They travel the remainder of the day through the forest of Fontainville, but can't find their way to the other side (14). The sun sets upon them, and La Motte spots a light in the forest "at a little distance." They proceed toward it, and arrive at the Abbey (15).
The next time someone leaves the Abbey is when Peter goes to Auboine. He follows the following route:
"I followed the way you directed, and, turning to the right of that grove of trees yonder, I looked this way and that to see if I could see a house, or a cottage, or even a man, but not a soul of them was to be seen, and so I jogged on, near the value of a league, I warrant, and then I came to a track; oh! Oh! Says I, we have you now; this will do--paths can't be made without feet. However, I was out of my reckoning, for the devil of a bit of a soul could I see, and, after following the track this way and that way for the third of a league, I lost it, and had to find out another. I wandered a long while at random, I did not know where, all through a forest like this, and I took a special care to note how the trees stood, that I might find my way back. At last I came to another path, and was sure I should find something now, though I had found nothing befre, for I could not be mistaken twice; so, peeping between the trees, I spied a cottage, and I gave my horse a lash, that sounded through the forest, and I was at the door in a minute. They told me there was a town about a half a league off and bade me follow the track and it would bring me there, so it did; and my horse I believe smelt the corn in the manger by the rate he went at" (26).
Peter goes to Auboine twice more (30, 32), and then commits to weekly visits--always "quitt[ing] the town by a route contrary to that leading to the abbey" (34).
The first time that Adeline actually leaves the Abbey is when she believes she is running away with Peter to Savoy, but in reality, is carried away by the Marquis servant to his chateau. Adeline spends a few hours in the chateau, jumps out the window, and then meets Theodore in the garden. They leave the chateau and travel through the night to a "small town," where they stop for the night (172). This town is later identified as Caux.
After the marquis arrives in Caux and fights with Theodore, Adeline is carried back to the Abbey (206). La Motte keeps Adeline here while the Marquis recovers at the inn at Caux; though, after a change of heart at the last minute, he lets Adeline run away with Peter towards Savoy.
After travelling just a few hours, Adeline and Peter reach Thiers. Here, they reappear on the map. From Thiers, they travel to Lyon (235), and there "hire a boat...to take them up the Rhone to the nearest part of Savoy, from whence they were to proceed by land to the village of Leloncourt."
Adeline and Peter dock in Savoy, and travel to his hometown. There, Adeline meets the La Luc family and is invited to their chateau. This chateau is "on the borders of a small lake that was almost environed by mountains." As Leloncourt is a fictional place, the location of La Luc's chateau is difficult to pinpoint.
Later, in order to improve La Luc's health, he, Adeline, and Clara travel to Nice. They travel for "some days among the romantic mountains and green vallies of Piedmont" and eventually enter "the rich country of Nice" (279).
As the air of Nice does not improve La Luc's ailments, they decide to travel to Montpellier, sailng away from Nice toward Languedoc (292). "After a pleasant voyage of a few days, the shores of Provence receded and that of Languedoc, which had long bounded the distance, became the grand object of the scene, and the sailors drew near their port. They landed in the afternoon at a small town situated at the foot of a woody eminence, on the right overlooking the sea, and on the left the rich plains of Languedoc" (296). They then travel to Montpelier--a part of Languedoc.
It is in Montpellier that Adeline discovers Theodore's relation to La Luc, and La Luc discovers the plight of his son. The family travels from Montpellier to Vaceau, where Theodore is being held prisoner. Here Adeline stays while La Luc travels to Paris to plead for his son. He goes to Paris in an attempt to emancipate Theodore, but comes home defeated.
Eventually, Adeline's presence is requested in Paris to speak for La Motte, "after a journey of several days" she arrives there to discover the true identity of the Marquis and assist in emancipating Theodore.
Because she has discovered the true identity of her father, she removes his remains from the Abbey, and arrives in St. Maur--"an estate in one of the northern provinces"--where she finally lays them to rest (355). Following this trip, she returns to Paris where Theodore is waiting.
Since Theodore is required to return to his regiment away from Paris, Adeline returns with La Luc and Clara to Montpelier. Theodore eventually rejoins here, and eventually travel together to St. Maur, where they are married (357).
From here, the family travels back to Savoy, where she and Theodore live on the banks of Lake Geneva (358).
*All page numbers correspond to the Oxford edition of The Romance of the Forest.
Because she refuses to stay at the convent, her father retrieves her, and drives her to his home "a few leagues on the other side of Paris." Adeline describes this journey: "We entered upon a gloomy and unfrequented road. It was evening when we reached a wild heath. Night came on before we reached our place of destination; it was a lone house on the waste." It is at this home that she is "rescued" by La Motte (36)*.
From here, Adeline's journey mirrors La Motte's. Once La Motte decides to allow Adeline to accompany him, the "ruffians" drive him and his family 45 minutes away from the house. It is not known what direction they traveled (this probably would have been approximately 4 miles away, given the maximum speed a horse and buggy could travel) (7).
They proceed through the night, and in at daybreak they are in “a land confined by high banks and overarched by trees" (9). They pass through open champaign country for "many leagues," after which they breakfast at an unnamed village (10). Later, Louis identifies this village as D--, where La Motte writes a letter to Nemours (67).
After breakfast, they travel until approximately 2:00, where they come to a "deep valley, watered by a rivulet, and overhung with wood." They eat dinner here (10). This, perhaps, took place around V-- where Louis asks for them and is directed to Monville (67).
Three hours after sunset, they arrive in Monville where they stay at an inn (11). It is in this inn that Adeline awakes in the morning with a fever and requires everyone to delay their journey for "a few days" (13). After these few days, they travel to "B--," described as "a village out of the great road." They spend the night here, and continue their journey across a "wild and woody tract of country" (13).
They stop at "about noon at a solitary village," where they take refreshments (this is "L--" where Louis observes scribbling on the glass of the inn, 67), and here obtrained directions for "passing the vast forest of Fontainville, upon the borders of which they now were" (13).
They travel the remainder of the day through the forest of Fontainville, but can't find their way to the other side (14). The sun sets upon them, and La Motte spots a light in the forest "at a little distance." They proceed toward it, and arrive at the Abbey (15).
The next time someone leaves the Abbey is when Peter goes to Auboine. He follows the following route:
"I followed the way you directed, and, turning to the right of that grove of trees yonder, I looked this way and that to see if I could see a house, or a cottage, or even a man, but not a soul of them was to be seen, and so I jogged on, near the value of a league, I warrant, and then I came to a track; oh! Oh! Says I, we have you now; this will do--paths can't be made without feet. However, I was out of my reckoning, for the devil of a bit of a soul could I see, and, after following the track this way and that way for the third of a league, I lost it, and had to find out another. I wandered a long while at random, I did not know where, all through a forest like this, and I took a special care to note how the trees stood, that I might find my way back. At last I came to another path, and was sure I should find something now, though I had found nothing befre, for I could not be mistaken twice; so, peeping between the trees, I spied a cottage, and I gave my horse a lash, that sounded through the forest, and I was at the door in a minute. They told me there was a town about a half a league off and bade me follow the track and it would bring me there, so it did; and my horse I believe smelt the corn in the manger by the rate he went at" (26).
Peter goes to Auboine twice more (30, 32), and then commits to weekly visits--always "quitt[ing] the town by a route contrary to that leading to the abbey" (34).
The first time that Adeline actually leaves the Abbey is when she believes she is running away with Peter to Savoy, but in reality, is carried away by the Marquis servant to his chateau. Adeline spends a few hours in the chateau, jumps out the window, and then meets Theodore in the garden. They leave the chateau and travel through the night to a "small town," where they stop for the night (172). This town is later identified as Caux.
After the marquis arrives in Caux and fights with Theodore, Adeline is carried back to the Abbey (206). La Motte keeps Adeline here while the Marquis recovers at the inn at Caux; though, after a change of heart at the last minute, he lets Adeline run away with Peter towards Savoy.
After travelling just a few hours, Adeline and Peter reach Thiers. Here, they reappear on the map. From Thiers, they travel to Lyon (235), and there "hire a boat...to take them up the Rhone to the nearest part of Savoy, from whence they were to proceed by land to the village of Leloncourt."
Adeline and Peter dock in Savoy, and travel to his hometown. There, Adeline meets the La Luc family and is invited to their chateau. This chateau is "on the borders of a small lake that was almost environed by mountains." As Leloncourt is a fictional place, the location of La Luc's chateau is difficult to pinpoint.
Later, in order to improve La Luc's health, he, Adeline, and Clara travel to Nice. They travel for "some days among the romantic mountains and green vallies of Piedmont" and eventually enter "the rich country of Nice" (279).
As the air of Nice does not improve La Luc's ailments, they decide to travel to Montpellier, sailng away from Nice toward Languedoc (292). "After a pleasant voyage of a few days, the shores of Provence receded and that of Languedoc, which had long bounded the distance, became the grand object of the scene, and the sailors drew near their port. They landed in the afternoon at a small town situated at the foot of a woody eminence, on the right overlooking the sea, and on the left the rich plains of Languedoc" (296). They then travel to Montpelier--a part of Languedoc.
It is in Montpellier that Adeline discovers Theodore's relation to La Luc, and La Luc discovers the plight of his son. The family travels from Montpellier to Vaceau, where Theodore is being held prisoner. Here Adeline stays while La Luc travels to Paris to plead for his son. He goes to Paris in an attempt to emancipate Theodore, but comes home defeated.
Eventually, Adeline's presence is requested in Paris to speak for La Motte, "after a journey of several days" she arrives there to discover the true identity of the Marquis and assist in emancipating Theodore.
Because she has discovered the true identity of her father, she removes his remains from the Abbey, and arrives in St. Maur--"an estate in one of the northern provinces"--where she finally lays them to rest (355). Following this trip, she returns to Paris where Theodore is waiting.
Since Theodore is required to return to his regiment away from Paris, Adeline returns with La Luc and Clara to Montpelier. Theodore eventually rejoins here, and eventually travel together to St. Maur, where they are married (357).
From here, the family travels back to Savoy, where she and Theodore live on the banks of Lake Geneva (358).
*All page numbers correspond to the Oxford edition of The Romance of the Forest.
