Vidal Gore — Eighteen Seventy [3200]

“We thought it the right thing to do, Papa.” Emma shifted to rapid French, and I don’t think Sanford was able to understand us. “William wants to get away. To go to Paris. As soon as possible. With the child. With me. Obviously, I can’t travel with him unmarried. So last week we asked the Bishop, and he was most agreeable. He arranged it all.” — Vidal Gore, Eighteen Seventy, 3200

Note

The shift to French in Emma’s dialogue serves to symbolize both her youthful romanticism and the separation from her father’s more traditional views. It emphasizes the dynamic between old and new, as well as the intimacy shared between Emma and William.