When the immoral libertine Monsieur de Franval marries and fathers a daughter, he decides to inculcate in her a sense of absolute freedom, an unconventional education that involves the two becoming secret lovers. But Franval's virtuous, God-fearing wife becomes suspicious and confronts him, setting off a tragic chain of events.

Part of Sade's The Crimes of Love cycle, this shocking tale – which was among the writings banned for publication until the twentieth century – tests the limits of morality and portrays the disastrous consequences of freedom and pleasure.