An American writer describes how he went to Paris the previous year, where he met the father of his friend Raoul. The two men have coffee in a hotel room, where the older man tells a story that the American has never forgotten. Years ago in 1889, the French man, named Aubert, was a young soldier returning from Africa, and he was engaged to a wealthy young woman named Louise. They exchanged many letters when the soldier was still in Africa, and Louise told him about accounts of life in Paris, including a writer who Louise had met at a reception given by a nobleman. The nobleman revealed to the guests that he had told the writer to wear his red hunting jacket, while the other guests were all wearing more formal clothes. Louise again wrote of the writer, saying that he boasted of his strength and weight lifting abilities. When Aubert returns from Africa, he asks about the writer, and Louise insists that Aubert meet him. The writer comes to dinner the next week, and Louise introduces him as Monsieur de Maupassant. Maupassant asks if it is true that each man who enters the drawing room of the Countess Seville must kneel before each lady and kiss her hand. Louise and her mother respond yes, to Aubert's surprise, because this is not a custom. Louise and her mother insist on a rehearsal. Maupassant kisses Louise's hand, but Aubert cannot watch anymore and asks Maupassant about his weight lifting. When it is time to go, Aubert approaches Maupassant in the street and tells him the everyone is making a sport of him and he should not allow it. Maupassant asks what he should do, but Aubert does not know what advice to give since the writer is so intent on becoming a part of the Parisian society. The next day, Maupassant brings Aubert some of his stories to read. He reveals that his critics say his war stories are not possible, so he wants Aubert to read them since he was a soldier. He also shows Aubert a letter from the Countess asking him to come over for a heart-to-heart. Aubert says that it is the maid's writing, not the Countess's, and it is a trap while the Countesses friends hide behind the furniture. Maupassant does not believe him and goes, but several days later he tells Aubert that he was right and that it was horrible. Aubert tells the writer to forget them, and the writer embraces him with tears in his eyes. Aubert wonders how everyone could sit back and enjoy the torment that was raging in the writer's head. Aubert sees Maupassant a week later, when he comes and sits silently for an hour before revealing that his doctor advises him to go away. A week later, Aubert is invited to a farewell dinner that Maupassant is giving with some friends. Aubert goes to the dinner, where Maupassant is wearing his red hunting jacket. Aubert sees place-cards for the Countess, Louise, and other individuals. Maupassant say that they accepted his invitation, but the two men wait an hour and nobody else comes. The men begin to eat, and Maupassant tells the waiter to serve everyone else before him, and makes the waiter put fish on all of the empty plates even though there is nobody there. Then, Maupassant whispers to Aubert not to eat the fish. He begins a speech, and speaks as if all of the guests are there. He calls them cruel, and says that under Louise's respectable varnish is sour milk. He asks them to all kneel before the Countess of human rubbish. He says that the fish they had just eaten is poison, and the door is locked, and the first person to try to leave will be strangled. Maupassant sinks down in his chair. The waiters desperately knock at the door, and Aubert opens it. They look around shocked to see just the two men in the room. Aubert and Maupassant walk home. The writer says it was a pity that the other guests did not come, and the fish was not actually poisoned but it would have done them good to think it was. The men embrace and say goodbye, and Maupassant's eyes are filled with tears. Aubert drives to Louise's house in a cab. She asks him what is wrong, and he says that he will never marry her, because she and her idle fools have tortured a man into madness. Aubert leaves for Africa the next day and tries hard to forget Louise, who marries a titled man several months later. He only receives one letter from Maupassant, who is in a private sanitarium. Three years later, Aubert visits Paris again. He goes to a horse race and sees Louise in the stands. The lines in her face are hard and etched, and Aubert recalls what Maupassant said about the foul milk of her nature. Aubert goes to the sanitarium, where they tell him that Maupassant had died that morning. Aubert sees the writer's red coat hanging on a hook in the hall, and he kisses one of the sleeves as he leaves.