Lucienne Delamare and Pierre Maury are having an affair       Lucienne's husband Paul is the mayor, and a French deputy       Pierre's wife Clotilde has been weak and sickly for years       Lucienne's husband holds no excitement for her, and he is always away in Paris on business       Pierre is now the vice-mayor, thanks to Paul       Lucienne and Pierre have a secret meeting spot by a lake along a country lane       Pierre's wife dies suddenly, by suicide the town gossips believe       Pierre confesses otherwise to Lucienne       Paul proposes a shady land deal which will benefit the town, and wants Pierre's political support and collusion       Then Paul discovers proof of his wife's affair