In which the tranquil evenings at the Chalet veil a subtle tension amid card games and whispered warnings, as Madame Mignon and her friends muse over the mysteries of Modeste’s heart with a mixture of suspicion and affection. Through tales of past misfortunes and the tender memory of a sorrowful sister, Modeste’s refined spirit, nourished by literature and music, reveals a youthful pride and secret depths that belie the quiet surface of her constrained provincial life.