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Initially vowing to avoid writing about them, the narrator, Barnes, serves as best man at their wedding, serenaded by guests with a cheerful rendition of “he’s a jolly good fellow.” Despite a passionate initial connection, the marriage ultimately falters, mirroring the fate of many rekindled romances. Following their deaths, Barnes, having broken his earlier promise, reflects on the complexities of love and his own involvement in their narrative. He confesses, “I had treated Jean and Stephen as if they were characters in one of my novels,” acknowledging a detached, observational approach and his role as an unreliable narrator.
