The story opens on a note of tension, with George Silverton, a solicitor’s clerk, returning to his dimly lit home after work. George is a dour and secretive man, harboring deep resentment towards his wife, Evadne. He detests her striking beauty, which he believes can turn to ugliness, and her tendency to respond emotionally to what he considers trivial matters.

Marital Mismatches

At first glance, George and Evadne’s relationship seems like any typical mismatched marriage. But as the narrative unfolds, George is revealed as a misogynist with a profound dread and disdain for sex. He once fantasized about leaving his wife as a way to cleanse himself from what he calls "the secret obscenity of women." Initially, he believed their marriage was based on a spiritual purity, but soon concluded that Evadne was only interested in the physical aspects, which repulsed him.

A Decade of Discontent

After ten years, George feels both cheated and physically tainted by the marriage. The tension escalates with the arrival of a letter featuring a handbill that announces Mrs. Evadne Silverton as a speaker at a political meeting supporting Stephen Langton, a Socialist running for town council. Though George is a moderate reformer, the word "socialism" and the sight of Evadne’s name associated with it deeply unsettle him. He struggles to reconcile his wife's growing reputation as a respected political figure with his own view of her as emotionally and intellectually superficial.

Politics and Prejudice

George's prejudices—both political and sexual—entangle as he accuses Langton of being morally corrupt. When Evadne defends Langton, George labels her a "slut" and threatens to expel her from their home if she participates in the meeting. She retreats to the kitchen, masking her pain with the clatter of dishwashing, while George ominously picks up a knife in what foreshadows their looming conflict.

Misinterpretations

When Evadne gathers her things and leaves, crying for the first time in their marriage, George jumps to the conclusion that she is meeting Langton, whom he suspects is her lover. In his slippers, he trails her up a hill into the wilds, his mind filled with visions of secret trysts and betrayal, mirroring the untamed landscape. He clings to the belief that catching her in the act will allow him to free himself from their marriage.

The Climactic Confrontation

When George discovers Evadne is merely taking a swim to cool off, he is humiliated by the lack of evidence for adultery or grounds for divorce. Overcome by a torrent of emotions, both husband and wife face each other with lethal intent. Their past minor misunderstandings dissolve, revealing a deep-seated animosity. Though Evadne proves physically stronger, George’s desperation compels him to strike first, resulting in both tumbling into a tumultuous river.

A Struggle Against Nature

George battles his way through the water, his body battered by rocks, until he latches onto a mooring ring. Exhausted yet determined, he returns to the water and pushes Evadne beneath its surface, envisioning both an end and an escape. His mind alternates between feeling powerful for having acted decisively and anxious at the prospect of facing justice for murder.

Return to Reality

On the way home, George imagines achieving purification through suicide, planning to end his life in a demonstration of resolve by using gas in his bedroom. However, upon discovering Evadne alive, sprawled asleep and muddy on the bed meant for his noble farewell, he experiences one final defeat. Evadne, with her typically frugal nature, has turned off the gas, preventing his plan. George, now resigned, curls up beside her as she wraps her arms around him—a gesture of enduring life and resilience that he perceives as his ultimate failure.