A porosz levél; Madame de Rothe halála

In a cramped, sun‑lit room of a modest Hungarian town, the day begins with Aunt Biby hovering at a half‑open door, clutching a steaming cup while a disheveled teacher, Gaston Lacrouze, lies in an absurdly tiny swimsuit. Their banter crackles with absurdity—Bibby’s hesitant politeness collides with Gaston’s flamboyant self‑importance, hinting at a world where academic pretensions and everyday chores intertwine in comic chaos.

Gaston, freshly returned from a bitter stay in Basel, struts through the house in a hastily assembled gentleman’s outfit—cylinder, bow tie, polished shoes—determined to re‑enter the town’s social circles. He greets the local innkeeper, the curious scholar Mimizan, and a handful of eccentric neighbors, each encounter laced with puns and playful miscommunications that reveal both his vanity and his longing for acceptance.

The narrative swirls between the domestic hum of a kitchen table littered with coffee stains and the bustling streets where gossip travels faster than the post. As Gaston prepares for an evening at the Sellier tavern, listeners are drawn into a lively tableau of language, culture, and the small absurdities that define a community on the brink of a turn.