Following the May 1968 civil unrest in France, a deaf-mute and a con artist simultaneously stumble upon the remnants of a secret society.

Elizabeth sends telegrams to her old boyfriend Ben in NYC and to her younger sister Leo in Rome to join her in Paris, where she is selling her dead father's estate. When Ben and Leo arrive, a mysterious adventure begins.

In response to a new friend's queries, Vera recounts her life, starting with her no-good husband Jean, who has been using her to keep his failing building business afloat - up to the present affair she's having with Cayre (Depardieu).