However, twenty years later he falls in love with a reclusive artist famous for her work, which turns out to be Claire herself, who has not drowned at all. For the remainder of the play, Claire and her friend Laura mock L'Estranger with biting wit, and he in turn eventually concedes that he had not valued his wife as he should have.
Twenty years after their initial encounter, the protagonist falls in love with a reclusive artist who is revealed to be Claire herself, who has survived the supposed drowning incident. Throughout the play, Claire and her friend Laura playfully mock L'Estranger, while he eventually recognizes his shortcomings in valuing his wife.