The opening of "Mont-Oriol" sets the scene at a thermal spa in the picturesque Auvergne region, where the first bathers are seen strolling amid the tranquil landscape. The story introduces key characters, including the rigorous doctor Bonnefille, who oversees the spa, and the marquis de Ravenel, who is concerned for his wife’s health and seeks out the older doctor's care. A young woman, Madame Andermatt—a patient at the spa experiencing vague ailments—also enters the narrative, characterized by her beauty and desire for motherhood. As the characters navigate their relationships in the context of the spa and its treatments, their intertwined stories begin to unfold against the backdrop of social dynamics, hopes, and the quest for healing. (This is an automatically generated summary.)