The story revolves around a young man who returns to his hometown after years abroad and becomes infatuated with a woman he had previously known. He begins to pursue her, but she rejects him due to his lack of social standing. As the young man's obsession grows, he starts to notice strange occurrences in the town that seem to be connected to the woman. He becomes convinced that she is somehow manipulating events to keep them apart. The story builds towards a tragic confrontation between the two characters, with devastating consequences for both.
By Guy De Maupassant · First published 1884 · Genre: Literary Fiction, War Fiction, Satire