'Pique-Dame' Summary

Herman, a young army engineer, is stationed in a small town near St. Petersburg. He is a passionate gambler, but he is always losing. One day, he hears a story about an old countess who knows the secret of the three cards, which can always win at faro. Herman becomes obsessed with learning the secret, and he believes that it is the only way to win back the money he has lost. He visits the countess and tries to charm her into revealing the secret, but she refuses. Herman becomes increasingly desperate, and he eventually forces the countess to tell him the secret. The countess reluctantly reveals the secret, but she warns Herman that it will bring him no good. Herman uses the secret to win a fortune at faro, but he soon loses it all again. He becomes more and more desperate, and he eventually kills the countess in order to get her money. However, the ghost of the countess haunts Herman, and he eventually goes mad and dies.