“The first April swallows with cheerful cries chase one another and, like mad, whirl in the azure sky where the magnificent spring sun shines. The first buds open, flower petals unfurl, and in the cool air a thin, gentle scent of spring swirls… It’s good to live in the world! Yes, it’s good to live just steps away from the magnificent Saint-Germain forest, in flowering villas lining the road from Maison-Lafitte to the ancient royal grove. A few Parisians who were homesick for the countryside and considered it a happy escape from the bustle of a big city enjoyed this poetic awakening of nature. Among them was the Grandet family, already settled in the Carmene villa for two weeks. On the calendar it was April 25, 8 o’clock in the morning…”