The Room in the Dragon Volant · Chapter
XIV: Mademoiselle de la Vallière explained
At a masked ball, the narrator converses with a lady dressed as Mademoiselle de la Vallière.
What happens
At a masked ball, the narrator converses with a lady dressed as Mademoiselle de la Vallière. She reveals intimate knowledge of his interest in the Countess de St. Alyre and arranges a secret midnight meeting in the park. The Count de St. Alyre later avoids introducing him to his wife, confirming the lady's predictions.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it reveals the protagonist’s complete psychological and physical h…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
The masked ball and the lady's disguise highlight the contrast between appearance and hidden intentions.
- Love and Obsession
The narrator's intense desire to meet the Countess drives him to accept a secret rendezvous.
- Danger and the Supernatural
The clandestine meeting in the park at midnight carries an undercurrent of peril and mystery.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
Engages in conversation with a masked lady and agrees to a midnight tryst.
- Marquis d'Harmonville
Accompanies the narrator through the salons and later helps him avoid the Count.
- Count de St. Alyre
Jealous and cunning; avoids introducing the narrator to his wife as predicted.
- Mademoiselle de la Vallière
The masked lady in costume who arranges the secret meeting and claims to be the Countess's confidante.
Key passages
“It is not easy, Mademoiselle, to deceive me.”
The narrator claims he can see through her disguise.
Opens the flirtatious and deceptive dialogue.
“You will be at the place I have described, then, at two o’clock?”
The masked lady confirms the midnight meeting.
Sets the stage for the secret tryst.
“He is jealous and cunning. You will see. He will never introduce you to his wife.”
The lady predicts the Count's behavior.
Foreshadows the Count's evasion.
