At regular intervals the ruined skeletons of all manner of carriages could be seen, having fallen off of the road-side, some with their shafts pointed directly at the powerful current of the Rhône, causing Georgiana to reflect with sadness as she imagined the fate of the horses which had been bound to the shafts. Gratefully, the Darcys reached Chambéry without further incident. Chambéry was the capital of the Savoy and the former residence of Rousseau, where it was still possible to see where he lived so openly and disgracefully with his mistress, M. de Varennes. As they arrived at the ancient capital, it became clear why there was a business in over-charging the English visitors, for at that place joined the roads to Torino, Marseille, and Geneva. It seemed the very crossroads of England, so many English were there, going to one place or another, coming, staying, eating, shopping, and every other activity possible in such a confined place. Their inn was unsatisfactory, and upon entering their rooms for the night, Elizabeth made a comment to the effect that, by this point in their journey, a clean inn was certainly more remarkable than otherwise. They were all become so inured to the French stile of house-keeping, that there was certainly no advantage in dwelling upon so common-place an inconvenience.

Mr. Darcy planned to stay at Chambéry two nights, resting the horses before the final ascents to Geneva, so as to arrive at the latter by Saturday night, as the following day’s travel would be necessarily suspended in honour of the Sabbath. That evening, Mr. Darcy discussed the idea of making a short diversion, in order to take in the Grand Chartreuse, a detour southward of about twenty miles. Mr. Harmon had determined it to be exactly three-and-twenty miles, and that the road was far more inclined than any they had yet travelled, necessitating at least four days to view the great monastery and its grounds. Mr. Harmon then suggested, if Mr. Darcy were decided upon the detour, he reckoned it made more sense “for the horses” to continue into Grenoble, and thence to Torino. This put the detour out of reach for the present journey, and the three were necessarily to be content with the views afforded by Georgiana’s guide-books. In lieu of flying about the tops of the mountains of the Savoy, the Darcys enjoyed a pleasant day of walking about the ancient capital, viewing the path of the Leysse through the town, the cathedral, or the château of the Ducs of the Savoy, and its enchanting Ste. Chappelle.