In a long monologue, the first-person narrator recounts the story of his dramatically failed marriage: After being socially ruined due to a refused duel, the narrator has just established a new existence as a pawnbroker and married "the Gentle One," a young, impoverished girl. However, the couple soon falls into conflict, and the Gentle One turns to a young officer. When the pawnbroker catches the two of them on a date, an open war erupts in their marriage. The young woman unsuccessfully attempts to kill her husband, who, in turn, divides their shared apartment with a partition. Ultimately, however, it seems that the Gentle One is willing to reconcile...