Miquel Helps Julian Escape to Paris and Hides Penelope's Fate from Him

Miquel’s assistance in Julian’s escape becomes an act of protection shaped by concealment: he helps his friend leave Barcelona, then withholds the news that Penelope has been imprisoned and may be carrying Julian’s child. In Paris, he sustains Julian with money, books, and regular letters, while trying to keep hope alive without revealing what is happening to Penelope.

The decision to help Julian leave

After Don Ricardo has Julian expelled from San Gabriel’s School and arranges for the young man to be sent into military service, Miquel understands that telling Julian the truth about Penelope would prevent him from taking the train to Paris. Penelope is locked away, and may be pregnant; if Julian stays in Barcelona, Miquel fears it will be the end of him. He therefore lets Julian go without knowing what has happened, allowing him to believe that Penelope may join him later.

At the Estacion de Francia, Miquel says goodbye to Julian while trying to believe that all is not lost. The escape gives Julian a chance to get away from the danger gathering around him, but it leaves Miquel responsible for deciding which parts of the truth his friend can bear to hear.

Friendship across distance

Weeks later, Julian writes from Paris under a false sender’s name. He gives Miquel his address, says he is well and misses him, and asks after his mother and Penelope. He also encloses a letter for Penelope. Miquel waits several months before replying, then writes weekly, carefully restricting what he tells Julian. Julian, meanwhile, describes a difficult, lonely, and desperate life in Paris. Miquel sends him money and books as well as friendship; Julian continues to include a letter for Penelope in each message.

Miquel posts those letters from different post offices, though he knows they will not reach her. He has learned from Jacinta that Penelope has not left the house on Avenida del Tibidabo since Don Ricardo locked her in a third-floor room. His silence is therefore not a lack of concern: it is a deliberate effort to keep Julian away from Barcelona, even as each unanswered inquiry deepens the burden of their correspondence.

Jorge’s letter and Miquel’s refusal

One night, Jorge waylays Miquel near his home and hands him a letter, asking him to make sure it reaches Julian wherever he is hiding. The envelope contains a handwritten message from Penelope. It says that she is to marry, asks Julian not to write again, and urges him to forget her and rebuild his life. Miquel recognizes her handwriting but doubts she sent the message willingly. Her reference to not knowing where Julian is does not persuade him: he knows she knows he is in Paris, waiting for her.

Miquel cannot tell whether Penelope is trying to protect Julian from some further threat, but he understands that the letter could devastate a nineteen-year-old already alone in a hostile city and sustained by the hope of seeing her again. After considering the matter, he decides not to forward it until he knows the reason behind it. The choice extends the concealment begun at the station: Miquel once again takes responsibility for withholding a painful message, this time refusing to make himself the instrument of what he fears would be a wound to his friend.

The cost of protection

Miquel’s aid does not resolve the separation. Julian remains in Paris, writing to Penelope through Miquel, while Penelope remains confined and the letters fail to reach her. Miquel’s loyalty takes practical forms—sending money and books, maintaining weekly correspondence, and carrying messages he cannot safely deliver—but it also requires him to manage what Julian knows. His protection is consequently inseparable from deception: he keeps Julian away from the immediate danger in Barcelona while preserving an expectation of reunion that he cannot confirm.