English author Charlotte Bronte published Villette in 1853. The central protagonist Lucy Snowe moves from her native England to the made-up French-speaking city of Villette to work as a teacher at a girls' school, where she becomes entangled in romance and adventure.A few weeks after Polly left Mrs. Bretton's house, Lucy also departs for unspecified reasons. Lucy is left without a family, a home, or any money due to an unexplained family tragedy. She is employed by Miss Marchmont, a rheumatically disabled woman, as a career.Miss Marchmont shares her sad love story of 30 years ago with Lucy and concludes that she should treat Lucy better. She believes that death will reunite her with her dead lover. She thrives despite Mme. Beck was always watching over the staff and students.Lucy gets to know her coworker, the obnoxious, autocratic, and combative professor M. Paul Emanuel, progressively better. Paul and She do end up falling in love.The incidents involving the nun undoubtedly played a significant role in the book's reputation as gothic fiction.
