A Tragic Idyl

A cultivated but restless baroness, hardened by intellectual skepticism and gambling, disturbs her circle and provokes the anxiety of a devoted friend who suspects a perilous attachment to a much younger admirer. Social pleasures, secret resolutions, and an impulsive marriage entangle several protagonists—including a rival named Olivier du Prat—and set loyalties and scruples at odds. Episodes in casinos, salons, and at sea trace escalating jealousies, sacrifices, and moral dilemmas, and the narrative moves through compact episodes toward converging misfortunes that bring a solemn denouement addressing disillusionment, pride, and the clash between intellect and feeling.