Old mother Magloire stubbornly refuses to sell her farm to Master Chicot, the innkeeper from Epreville. But when he offers to pay her a monthly allowance until her death, she ends up agreeing. After three years she is in perfect health. Then Master Chicot gives her a little barrel.

In their castle at Tourbeville, Mr. and Mrs. de Méroul receive Joseph Mouradour, a republican, a former friend of Mr Méroul. This friend moves into their home. Instead of kicking him out, Mr. and Mrs. Méroul claim to have to take a trip and leave the opportunist to occupy their home.

An innkeeper with an excessive taste for food and wine suffers from a seizure that leaves him bed-ridden. His wife, seeing him become useless, forces him to incubate eggs in front of all his friends.

The Count of Sallure has just ended his relationship with his mistress and has had a jealous scene with his wife. She accepts his advances but demands that he pay her a large sum of money, which she claims must remain in the household.

Marguerite leads an apparently blameless life with her husband, a magistrate, who for a long time has no longer been attracted to her. Under the name of Ms. Clarisse, she takes soldiers as lovers, and hosts them at the Cheval d'Or inn. One night, she finds a corpse in her bed.

A young girl farmhand falls pregnant. She hides her condition from her master, gives birth in secret and entrusts the baby to friends. Henceforth, she will have to work very hard to support her secret son. Her master, far from increasing her pay, forces her to marry him.

Hautot senior is gravely injured while out hunting. With his dying breath, he reveals to his son that he has had a secret relationship with a young seamstress for several years and asks him to watch over her.

The young farmer Césaire weds Céleste against the wishes of his father, Amable. All winter, Césaire works like a Trojan to support his homestead. He eventually dies, leaving his father Amable and Céleste alone together.

The clerk Cachelin has pushed his daughter, sole heiress of a wealthy aunt, to marry one of his ministry colleagues. The money will only come to the young woman if a child is born within three years. Given the urgency, Cachelin pushes his daughter into the arms of another colleague.

An artist shows his friends a painting from his youth which plunges him back into the past. A chance encounter led him to meet an English spinster called Miss Harriet. The lady was initially very unapproachable but slowly let down her defences in the company of the young painter.