It's a story about a man, the Count de Gruse, entertaining guests at his place in Paris, recounting a tale told to him by a winegrower who had spent some time in Madagascar where the winegrower had met his wife. It has a bit of a twist at the end, but given that the Count de Gruse doesn't appear to really like his guests, Essberger wisely leaves open the possibility that he is an unreliable narrator.