A narrator attached to a financially troubled household becomes obsessed with roulette as the family’s precarious finances, romantic tensions, and social pretensions intersect in a continental spa town. The narrative traces escalating wagers and psychological turmoil, the manipulations and debts that surround a capricious woman he loves, and the shifting alliances among relatives and guests. Interleaving brisk episodes of casino action with introspective monologue, the work examines addiction, pride, and the corrosive effects of money on affection and social standing.