A man on his own welcomes a baby-sitter at his mansion in southern France. The child in question is not there; he is to arrive soon. The young woman is sceptical, a bit afraid, of this unctuous but charming gentleman, this ogre who will gradually come to obsess her. He talks to her, charms her and then finishes by throwing her over, making fun of her, only to fascinate her as a snake does its prey.