She signalled to him from below, a happy little wave that he answered by raising his hand, barely moving it. He was annoyed at himself for being scared, but relieved that she was there. Before starting up the long meadow that ran all the way up to the house Lise turned around as if waiting for someone. A dog sprang out of the undergrowth, the famous wolf dog of unknown provenance, which now began to run around her, overjoyed that she was letting it come with her. Franck didn’t understand; the animal had obviously been following her since the morning, or else she had found it down there. But it was definitely the same dog that had rushed down the hill in its crazy pursuit through the Black Triangle last night.

Franck was moved to see it again, but he was also worried. Next to Lise, you could see just how enormous it was. Last night he hadn’t noticed if it had a collar, even though that’s the first thing you look for when you come across a dog in the middle of the countryside, to see if there’s a way of identifying it. Only a collar would reveal who the animal belonged to. Lise and the dog were still five hundred metres away. Lise was now finding out just how steep the slope was, and she was only wearing flip-flops. Franck felt a hint of irritation on seeing that; it wasn’t sensible to go walking through tall grass and into undergrowth in nothing but a pair of flip-flops. At the same time he was moved by how free she always was, by her ability just to be, possessing a kind of insouciance that never left her, and made her carefree, never anxious. The dog was playing beside her as if they had known each other for ever. Then it positioned itself in front of her, stood up on its hind legs and put its paws on Lise’s shoulders, as if it wanted to lick her face. It almost knocked her over. She stumbled, and he heard her laughing. Her laugh, breaking through the manic chirping of the insects, stood out like a beacon of hope. Even so, the dog was strong and lively, and it thrashed around her as she climbed, repeatedly moving away and going back to her. It could have easily knocked her over without meaning to. It leant against her and she pushed it away. The animal thought it was a game. It was already very hot in the midday sun.

Franck walked down to meet her and she waited for him halfway up the hill, getting her breath back.

‘You scared me. God, you scared me!’

‘Why? I was meditating. In the shade. It’s amazing down there, you know. It’s like a jungle – you can hear all kinds of noises. It’s perfect for reconnecting with yourself.’

‘Reconnecting with yourself?’