The Madwoman on a Pilgrimage

In “The Madwoman on a Pilgrimage,” a man’s passion for a woman is shared—rather inconveniently—by his son, and both declare themselves her suitors. The woman struggles to escape their pursuits by implying a rather indelicate state of affairs. Her ploy works, and the resultant chaos and confusion for father and son create a brilliantly comic ending. Also included are “Who is the Betrayer?” in which a man’s nocturnal monologues reveal rather more than he would wish, and a third tale where erotic infidelity and inadvertent revelation are shown to go hand in hand.