(Especially since this is the part containing the basis for that infamous scene in A Place of Greater Safety--if you don't know about that, so much the better for you and your brain.)

I have not had the (dis)pleasure of reading Mantel's novel. I read the snippets you posted on your journal, and I was pretty disappointed in a) her prose (didn't match up with her two Robespierre essays/book reviews) b) her trashing of the Duplay gals (poor Eléonore especially) and c) the overall crappy, stilted dialogue.

Question: How old was Babet at this time? And she doesn't mention Eléonore in this section. Do you know if they were close? Since I don't have any sisters, I'm not too familiar with sisterly dynamics. Do you think she talked to Eléonore about her lovesickness?

Thanks again for translating and posting! (et Bonne Année aussi!) I printed this out to read over a second time, and I'll add my comments on it later.