One-act comedy.
The Marquis, heir to a fortune, is in love with the Countess but is too timid to ask for her hand. If he marries someone other than herself, one-third of the Marquis's fortune will go to Hortense, who needs the money to marry the man she loves. Hortense, however, will forfeit her share of his fortune if she rejects the Marquis, who is about to propose to her simply because he fears the Countess. Goaded by his servant and Hortense, he finally proposes to the Countess and is immediately accepted. The lovers are delighted with one another, and Hortense, who is some 200,000 francs richer, is free to marry the man of her choice.