Vincent Bruce gets a job at the local asylum. He falls madly in love with Lilith, a schizophrenic patient. She is beautiful, an artist, plays the flute, and has invented her own language. Their romance begins quite passionately but quickly takes a sinister turn. Lilith sleeps with a female patient and Vincent is appalled. She then blackmails him into arranging a tryst with Warren, a male patient. Vincent is enraged and convinces Warren to commit suicide. Lilith goes into shock and is sent to a different asylum. Vincent resigns from the asylum and rebuilds a relationship with his grandfather. Vincent goes to work at his grandfather's tavern as a penance. He spends his free time reading philosophy and writing an account of his time at the asylum.