A novel about a man with "a flexible conscience", the woman he marries, and the woman who is his mistress, married to a poor apothecary. This is a love story with a difference, with a vast stage of very likeable characters, depth of detail and glimpses of Spanish politics in the post-Napoleonic era. It is also a classic of modern Spanish realism, a tragedy lightened with real humour and kindness. A good English translation by Agnes Moncy Gullón is available on the Internet Archive