Twenty-Four Hours in the Life of a Woman by Stefan Zweig. Short summary

5 seconds

An elderly lady tells of how she once experienced intense passion and tried to save a young gambling man. He insulted her, the woman left. The young man, having lost, killed himself.

1 minute

The narrator was vacationing on the Riviera. There was a scandal — a married lady ran off with a young Frenchman.

Vacationers condemned her; the narrator interceded.

His speech pleased the elderly English lady and she told him a story that happened to her many years ago.

Having been widowed, she came to Monte Carlo. One day the lady walked into the casino. The woman noticed a young gambler who struck her emotionally. The young man lost and decided to commit suicide.

The woman tried to save the young man. They spent the night together.

The young man turned out to be an aristocrat who had become a gambler. The woman gave the young man money on the condition that he leave the city. She decided to go with him, but she missed the train.

The woman arrived at the casino and saw the young man. He insulted her and she left.

Some time later, the woman learned that the young man had shot himself.

The narrator did not judge the lady and silently kissed her hand.