The film stars Maurice Ronet and features Léna Skerla, Jean-Paul Moulinot, Bernard Tiphaine, Bernard Noël, Jeanne Moreau (who had previously worked with Ronet and Malle in Elevator to the Gallows), Jacques Sereys, and Alexandra Stewart in supporting roles.

Alain Leroy has been living and receiving treatment for his alcoholism at Dr. La Barbinais' rehabilitation clinic in Versailles for the past four months.

Lydia tells Alain he is cured and should come back to New York with her, but he does not want to, and, though he says it is "serious", she cannot stay with him due to work obligations, so they part ways.

When Alain says he will drink again if he leaves the clinic, the doctor tells him that fear will fade with time and encourages him to try to reconcile with Dorothy again.

In the morning, Alain hitches a ride to Paris and cashes a check Lydia gave him, supposedly to repay an old gambling debt.

Dubourg, Alain's former drinking buddy, has settled into a comfortable life with his wife Fanny and her two young daughters, and is writing a book about ancient Egypt.

His friends are welcoming and glad to see him, but an intellectual named Brancion is not impressed by a story Cyrille tells about one of Alain's drunken escapades.