 Though Lazare and Pauline are tacitly engaged, Pauline releases him so that he may marry Louise Thibaudier, a rich banker's daughter who spends her vacations with the Chanteaus.Their marriage is an unhappy one, as his obsessive-compulsive behaviors escalate and he infects her with his fear of death.His inability to maintain gainful employment and his palpable apathy add to their unhappiness.