Ten years have passed since the novel's publication. In this short scene, we are introduced to a young girl named Coral, who has just turned ten years old. She is accompanied by her father, Alphonse, who is returning from the Crusades in the Holy Land. The girl is very excited to be reunited with her family, but she is also concerned about her appearance. She asks her father to tell her the name of her new friend, but he is not her father.