Summary

My School Friend

This is a Flaubert story involving a trip that he took to the botanical gardens. He recalls that the original home and gardens belonged to a friend of his who at the age of 17 killed himself because a girl would not return his love.

The Piano Lesson

This is a dream the author had. The narrator is with her friend Christine whom she has not seen in a long time. She promises to give the narrator a piano lesson, but tells her it will take some time. They discuss where to have the piano lessons and can’t decide between Italy or elsewhere.

The Schoolchildren in the Large Building

This is another dream sequence. The narrator is in a huge building, the size of a warehouse, but there are paintings on the...