Malta

Malta enters the novel as a destination rather than a developed setting: Chevalier Danceny names it as the place he means to go after leaving Paris, seeking distance from the society and experiences he associates with his recent troubles. The text establishes the purpose he gives for the journey, but offers no description of the island or account of his life there.

Intended Retreat

In his letter, Chevalier Danceny says that his decision is made and that he will leave for Malta. He presents the journey as a way to honor vows that will separate him from the world. He also hopes that living in a foreign land will help him lose the memory of accumulated horrors, which he fears would otherwise continue to sadden and diminish his spirit. Malta thus functions as the imagined endpoint of both a religious commitment and a withdrawal from painful worldly entanglements.

Departure and Uncertainty

A later letter from Madame de Volanges reports that Chevalier Danceny left Paris nearly a fortnight earlier. She has heard that he is going to Malta and plans to settle there, but this is reported information, not confirmation of his arrival or permanent residence. Her question about whether he might still be recalled underscores the emotional weight attached to his departure, while leaving Malta itself beyond the narrated action.

Narrative Significance

The island’s importance lies in what the characters expect it to mean, not in any depicted geography. For Chevalier Danceny, Malta promises separation and a life governed by vows; for Madame de Volanges, his reported destination makes his departure seem potentially lasting. The novel supplies no further account of whether the retreat brings the peace he seeks.