Summer in Paris is a stifling affair, but two American friends simply will not have it. Craving the open air of the countryside, the two board a train for l’Isle Adam and begin absorbing the bucolic atmosphere. They stand on the bridge leading to the island for a long time, observing how nicely the moving water contrasts with stagnant Paris. Around noon, they stop for an apéritif on the town’s main street, then decide to have lunch at the château near the bridge instead. As they near the château, they stare at the river again before seeking a seat. Their first waiter is a tall, withdrawn young man, and they speak with him awkwardly before ordering from a short French waiter. As they eat, they plan their vacations to other European countries. The French waiter later tells the two Americans of the terrible storm last night. It knocked down the tree in the château’s driveway—the largest tree on the island. The younger waiter jumps in, telling them it somehow didn’t hurt anyone. When the French waiter hears of the Americans’ plans to visit Germany, he tells them he learned some German during World War I. He tells them his younger colleague also fought in a war, and the young waiter explains how he caught a bullet in his knee during Russia’s civil war. The young waiter regards civil wars as the worst due to both sides being kin with one another, and one of the Americans notices how lost and traumatized the waiter seems.

Once they have completed their meal, the Americans visit the fallen tree. Then they leave the château and take a canoe down the river. Basking in the sun, they watch a woman fish from her rowboat. She tells them she has an extra rod, and the Americans join her. On the peaceful water, it seems like they are free from any reminders of war. The same American who noticed the emptiness in the Russian’s eyes then begins to remember an Austrian they met. With the Austrian’s story of inhaling toxic gas, they had been able to piece together a tragic view of war. Once the woman finishes her fishing, she asks the two Americans if they would be willing to view her artwork to see if any American distributors might handle them. The Americans agree, examining her imitation prints of old Paris and drawings of fishermen. As the sun sets, the Americans leave the woman and head for the bathing pavilion, crossing another bridge and settling in to watch the water. The American who had been thinking of the Austrian revisits their thoughts on the Russian waiter, pondering the sadness of being young and trapped on the losing side of war and life. Thinking of how they and their friend have been wandering from place to place in search of vitality, they can no longer sit still, resorting to jumping in the water. While they swim, the images of brutality conjured up by the Russian’s story of being shot cause them to panic. Back on shore, the two Americans decide to have dinner in Paris. As they cross the bridge over the main river, the waiters at the château bow towards them.