At the beginning of the play, the Old Man is on a stool, leaning out the window and looking intently. The Old Woman expresses concern about him falling and pulls him away. She then takes him to a set of two chairs and he sits on her lap. He proceeds to speak about their past, retelling a story about their visit to a garden in Paris. He complains that he has told this story many times before, but she insists. He describes their arrival at the garden and a bare-bellied man who spilled rice nearby.
The Old Woman then begins to try soothing the old man with a serene tone, telling him he is very intelligent and could have had a much more distinguished career. She speaks to him in a "motherly" tone of voice, despite being his wife. It is stated that the man works as a general factotum. Then she tells him he should have tried to be more agreeable with others, which upsets him. He is deeply troubled by the disappointing end of his career and reflecting on it causes him to leap up and pace around the room. He returns to his story, saying they reached the end of the garden and came to the city of Paris. He then cannot recall some minor but important detail and is also troubled by this.
He then informs her that he is inviting a large number of people to their home to hear him deliver his "message," some important statement that will redeem him and show his intelligence to a general population. His steps grow increasingly frantic. The Old Woman expresses worry that this kind of evening will be tiring, suggesting that he should maybe call it off. They hear boats coming in and the doorbell rings, signaling that the first guest has arrived. The Old Man criticizes the Old Woman's dress and they usher in an invisible woman, taking her coat and hat and exchanging pleasantries with her.
Another guest arrives; he is supposedly a colonel. The man and woman seem very nervous around him and express admiration for his uniform and accomplishments. They also introduce him to the woman they had been speaking with before. They start to move more chairs together to accommodate the other guests. They also talk about the war and the man claims to have seen combat.
More guests arrive in a group, also unseen like the previous guests, and the man meets Madame Belle and her husband. He introduces her to the woman and then begins talking with her privately. The ensuing conversation suggests that the man and Madame Belle were romantically involved at one time and that he still likely harbors feelings for her. Likewise, the woman makes suggestive motions toward Madame Belle's husband. The man bemoans his lost life and missed connection with Madame Belle.
They begin speaking to the other guests and offer conflicting accounts of their past. The man says he left his mother to die alone while the woman says that he was the perfect son in every regard. They also state that they have heard no word from their son in a very long time. These conflicting accounts continue until more Invisible guests arrive.
The man and woman quickly grow overwhelmed. She responds by taking on the tone of an usher and trying to get people to move in an orderly fashion. They arrange more chairs but seem to think that they do not have enough room to fit all the people coming through the door. They lose track of each other in the turmoil.
This all leads to the arrival of the Emperor, who is also invisible. The man and woman behave very obsequiously towards the Emperor. They say various complimentary things about him. The man also goes on at length about the message he will deliver and its potential to save humanity. A bit later, the orator, an actual human being, arrives and begins making his way over to the dais. After concluding his remarks, the man joins the woman at the window and they leap to their deaths.
After this, the orator begins speaking, but only says nonsense words. It becomes apparent that he is deaf and mute. He attempts to write some words on a chalkboard behind him and then leaves. The invisible Emperor murmurs, coughs, and laughs.
