In which a band of young local gentlemen concoct a mischievous exploit involving an old Spaniard’s cart to enliven their idleness, all while Maxence Gilet grapples obliquely with the impending arrival of estranged family members who threaten his comfortable dominion. Meanwhile, a detailed portrait emerges of Flore Brazier, the so-called Rabouilleuse, whose childhood at the hands of an aged doctor casts a quietly poignant light on the mingling of innocence and survival in provincial life.