The Immoralist

Michel and Marceline return to France and move into La Morinière, their estate in Normandy. Their estate manager, Bocage, prepares everything needed to make their arrival comfortable. Shortly after they arrive, Marceline tells Michel she is pregnant. He is very attentive to her and spends time walking with her around the property.

Meanwhile, Bocage mentions to Michel that his son will be visiting. Michel feigns interest and learns that Bocage’s son, Charles, who is 17, is training to run a farm. When Charles arrives, Michel is struck by his handsomeness. The next day, Bocage is overseeing repairs to a pond. Michel comes to observe the process. The laborers drain the pond so they can seal a leak, leaving fish in the leftover mud. They harvest the fish, but though there are also eels stuck in the mud, at first no one can catch them. Michel and Charles bond over capturing the eels and they soon begin chatting, addressing each other using “tu,” the familiar form of “you” in French.

From that day forward, Michel seeks out Charles’s company and advice about running the farm. Charles understands the management of the estate much better than Michel and points out that his tenants are not farming their land to the full extent possible.