The Red Inn

A sophisticated Parisian dinner party gathers around a banker’s table, where merchants, capitalists, and lively young women mingle over champagne and German beer. The evening’s guest, a stout, erudite man from Nuremberg named Hermann, charms the assembly with his hearty appetite and easy humor, embodying the genteel yet robust spirit of his homeland. As the conversation drifts from business to literature, the room settles into a comfortable, almost languid reverie, each guest idly playing with dessert knives and sharing quiet smiles.

When the hostess invites Hermann to tell a German tale, the atmosphere thickens with anticipation, and the storyteller’s voice seems to draw the listeners deeper into a world of mystery. Yet amid the pleasant chatter, one of the other guests—an ordinary‑looking broker—suddenly appears altered, his complexion taking on a strange violet hue that unsettles the convivial mood. This subtle shift hints that the night may hold secrets darker than the polished surface of the banquet.