IT was utterly incredible! Ten minutes ago they had left the main court of the Hôtel de Mélamare—and here they were back in the main court of the Hôtel de Mélamare! But in the course of their drive they had crossed the Seine and had only crossed it once! There could be no question of their having gone in a circle and come back to the start. And yet, after having covered about three kilometres (roughly the extent of old Paris between the Invalides and the Place des Vosges), they were now entering the main court of the Hôtel de Mélamare!
and had only crossed it onceA miracle was obviously the only explanation of the phenomenon. It meant a strenuous mental effort and put a considerable strain on the reason to try to separate things out, and picture each place in turn. The first impression wa
