CountHubertdeLatourLatouristheloveroftheDuchessdeMaulévrier.ThedayheissurprisedbytheDukeinthecompanyofhiswifeand...inarathercompromisingsituation,Hubertresortstoasubterfuge,claimingthathehascometoseetheDuchesstoseeksupporttobeelectedattheInstitutdeFrance,whosechairmanispreciselyherhusband.ThelattertakeshimathiswordandHubertbecomes...amemberoftheFrenchAcademy!Whichjustshowsthateverythingleadstoeverything.