Summary

“At the Villa” details the narrator’s trip to a villa close to her home where she sometimes goes to take walks. The villa itself is closed, but the garden contains statues of mythological creatures as well as an aviary. On her walk, the narrator sees an elderly man and woman, the latter of whom recently underwent a medical procedure. She reckons they may be brother and sister, and decides that the woman, though seemingly frail, exudes an incredible strength.

In “In the Country,” the narrator accepts a friend’s offer to stay at her house in the country for a few days as winter approaches. Feeling as though she is going through a difficult time, the narrator looks forward to the promised solitude of the country house. Upon arriving, she cooks herself a meal with more effort than...