A knot of monks happens upon a gallows in the middle of a dark forest. Hanging from the gallows is a fresh corpse, and underneath the dangling wretch a young woman performs a haunting dance. When Ambrosius falls in love with this outcast woman, his efforts to suppress his natural feelings result in a gradual descent toward calamity and tragedy.
Bierce’s subtle transformation of the monk Ambrosius from innocent monk to violent zealot is masterfully done, ranking this among Bierce’s finest achievements.