Led Astray and the Sphinx: Two Novellas in One Volume

A disenchanted wanderer retreats to the quiet French countryside seeking solitude, expecting nothing more than to lose himself among the ruins of Rozel Abbey and the chatter of village life. Instead, he encounters Madame de Palme, a wilful aristocrat who leads midnight hunts through the woods and refuses to let her guests remain disengaged from the world. What begins as a study in rural solitude becomes a dazzling collision with social convention, eccentric millers, and romantic intrigue. The novella weaves together sharp observation of provincial French society with a tender, often humorous exploration of how one人的生活 can be upended by forces they never sought. Through playful encounters and unexpected connections, Feuillet examines what happens when the solitary observer is drawn back into the mess of human engagement.