L'absence

"L'absence" by Henri Ardel is a novel written in the early 20th century. It centers on the lovers Pierre Chartrans, a driven colonial official, and Jacqueline Nozales, a charming, pleasure-seeking young widow, whose engagement is strained by his posting to distant Asia. Through separation, letters, and the glitter of Parisian society, the story probes fidelity, ambition, jealousy, and the power—and peril—of coquetry. The opening of the novel shows a tender, anguished farewell: Pierre leaves Jacqueline in Paris for a demanding mission near the Chinese frontier, and they pledge faithfulness as he departs by train. Weeks later, after a triumphant ball, Jacqueline savors a long, adoring letter from Pierre aboard ship; she is touched yet distracted, planning only a brief reply amid fittings and visits. With her friend Anne de Croissy, she candidly admits she enjoys being adored, values security over passion, and intends to keep a court of admirers even after marriage. A second letter traces Pierre’s slow, arduous advance inland, his loneliness, and his intense fixation on Jacqueline’s image. At the theater, flirtations resume, and Anne announces a short trip to Venice, a temptation Jacqueline instantly longs to accept—hinting that absence may soon meet its first real test. (This is an automatically generated summary.)