who reflects on his upbringing in the village of Gavrillac and his education in Paris. He witnesses the fallout from the murder of a local peasant, Mabey, at the hands of a gamekeeper, stirring indignation in his friend Philippe de Vilmorin, who proposes seeking justice from the local lord. Their contrasting views on moral and legal obligations set the stage for Andre-Louis's internal conflict as he grapples with the injustice of the ruling nobility while also navigating his complex relationship with his noble patron, M. de Kercadiou. The opening portion not only establishes the characters but also foreshadows the themes of revolutionary fervor, class conflict, and the costs of standing up for justice that will unravel as the story progresses. (This is an automatically generated summary.)