In which we find a disparate party of travellers, newly liberated from the vexations of quarantine in Marseilles, sharing a moment of convivial breakfast and bittersweet farewell, whilst their varied temperaments and destinies begin to subtly intertwine. We witness Mr Meagles’s practical affection for his daughter Pet and her spirited attendant Tattycoram, as well as the enigmatic reserve of a solitary Englishwoman, each casting light upon the quiet struggles and secret disquietudes of this temporary company.