Book excerpt: In a desolate village at the foot of the Cévennes, a Capuchin preacher stays with a mother-and-daughter household. Despite his eloquence, madame de Ferjol and her daughter Lasthénie find him imposing, and they become increasingly uneasy around him. On the day before Easter, the Ladies de Ferjol learn that their Capuchin guest has disappeared without a word. Shortly after, Lasthénie falls mysteriously ill, and become increasingly pale and melancholy. What follows is a descent into suspicion, religious fanatism and despair, ultimately resulting in destructive consequences.