RECOLLECTION

 

RECEIVED AT ONE OF THESE DWELLINGS...  

I came upon a spectacular courtyard with a mansion at its end...

Drawings by Harald Wolff

The entry led to a huge staircase, with a portrait at the top...

I continued past a suite of salons...

To find an aged couple before a fireplace:  

First draft

We spoke, among other things, of their chateau in the south: 

Me: "It seems that now chateaux are open to the public."   

The elderly man: "That rabble!"

The elderly lady: "Oh no, my dear, it's not that bad."

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Next,

An attempt to understand them