LucienneDelamareandPierreMauryarehavinganaffair.Lucienne'shusbandPaulisthemayor,andaFrenchdeputy.Pierre'swifeClotildehasbeenweakandsicklyforyears.Lucienne'shusbandholdsnoexcitementforher,andheisalwaysawayinParisonbusiness.Pierreisnowthevice-mayor,thankstoPaul.LucienneandPierrehaveasecretmeetingspotbyalakealongacountrylane.Pierre'swifediessuddenly,bysuicidethetowngossipsbelieve.PierreconfessesotherwisetoLucienne.Paulproposesashadylanddealwhichwill"benefitthetown",andwantsPierre'spoliticalsupportandcollusion.ThenPauldiscoversproofofhiswife'saffair..