La Espuma Obras completas de D. Armando Palacio Valdés, Tomo 7.

The story opens on a sun‑drenched afternoon in Madrid’s fashionable Serrano avenue, where the city’s provincial charm collides with a sudden burst of theatrical flamboyance. A strikingly elegant lady, wrapped in sable‑fur and silk, walks with an air of proud disdain that commands every glance, her blue eyes and bronzed complexion a curious blend of northern cool and southern heat. As shopkeepers inhale the perfume she leaves behind, a young man across the street watches her with a mixture of admiration and curiosity, his own world tilting at the mere meeting of their gazes.

Against the backdrop of early‑twentieth‑century cafés, trams, and bustling storefronts, the narrative sketches a vivid portrait of Madrid’s social scene, teasing the contrast between outer glamour and inner yearning. The gentle tension between the confident stranger and the silent observer hints at an unfolding connection that will test the boundaries of propriety, desire, and the ever‑watchful eyes of the city’s bustling crowd.