Built around a prostitution theme, it is considered one of his best realist short stories, after his renowned Boule de Suif.
The short story was republished in various publications notably in La Lanterne magazine in February 1889 and in the periodical Gil Blas in October 1892.
"Madame" Julia Tellier, a well-known procuress who runs a whorehouse in Normandy, takes her girls on an outing to her brother's village to attend the confirmation of her niece Constance.
Her regular patrons are taken aback when they discover the whorehouse is "closed" without explanation that weekend.
Meanwhile, Joseph Rivet, Madame Tellier's brother, is entertaining a more sinister idea far beyond the religious festivity...