Summary
In the sweltering summer of 1838, a series of events sets off a chain reaction in the lives of the Hulot family. M. Crevel, spurned by Baroness Adeline Hulot, seeks revenge on her husband, while familial tensions simmer beneath the surface. As romantic entanglements and financial troubles weave a tangled web, the Hulots face challenges that test their resilience and morality.
A Proposal and a Grudge
M. Crevel visits Adeline, the Baroness Hulot, with a bold proposal to make her his mistress, only to be rejected. His contempt for Baron Hulot, who previously seduced Crevel's former mistress, fuels his desire for retribution. The Baron, having squandered his wealth, now finds himself unable to provide his daughter Hortense with an adequate dowry. Hortense, meanwhile, takes solace in teasing her cousin Lisbeth, known affectionately as Cousin Bette, about her supposed romantic interest. Lisbeth, the family’s spinster, shares a mother-son-like bond with her companion, Count Steinbock, a sculptor and Polish refugee, yet she harbors a fierce jealousy towards his other acquaintances.
Family Dynamics and Secrets
That evening, the baron's elder brother, Colonel Hulot, joins his son Victorin and daughter-in-law Célestine for dinner. Célestine, unlike her father M. Crevel, holds no grudge against Baron Hulot. After the meal, the baron accompanies Cousin Bette home before seeking out his mistress, only to discover she has left him for a wealthier duke.
New Schemes and Hidden Plans
The following morning, Baron Hulot concocts a plot to seduce Madame Marneffe, the wife of one of his clerks. Meanwhile, Hortense buys a sculpture from Count Steinbock and uses the purchase to initiate contact. The Hulot family sees potential in marrying the impoverished nobleman to Hortense, a prospect they keep concealed from Cousin Bette. Baron Hulot arranges clandestine meetings with Madame Marneffe at Cousin Bette's abode, eventually relocating the Marneffes to an upscale residence in Rue Varennes, where Cousin Bette moves in as well. Through her association with Madame Marneffe, Cousin Bette learns of the secret engagement between Hortense and Count Steinbock, a revelation that provokes her long-simmering resentment towards her family, who have always dismissed her as an eccentric spinster. The perceived theft of her beloved is the final straw, prompting her to vow vengeance with Madame Marneffe's assistance.
Plotting and Betrayal
Determined to sow discord, Cousin Bette introduces M. Crevel to Madame Marneffe and orchestrates Count Steinbock's imprisonment for debt, misleading Hortense into believing he has returned to Poland. No one suspects Cousin Bette’s hand in the matter, and once Steinbock is freed through the intercession of friends, the wedding plans proceed. Baron Hulot scrambles to secure a dowry for Hortense and intends to replenish his finances by sending Adeline’s uncle to Algiers, exploiting his naivety in a plot to pilfer government funds via military deals.
Deceptions and Affairs
Upon Hortense’s marriage, Baron Hulot downsizes Adeline to a modest home, channeling more funds towards Madame Marneffe, with whom he maintains a discreet liaison. Concurrently, she cultivates an affair with M. Crevel. M. Marneffe remains unperturbed as long as his financial and occupational needs are met by her admirers.
Breaking Points
Baron Montès, Madame Marneffe’s former flame, reappears, unsettling Baron Hulot and M. Crevel. When Madame Marneffe bars Baron Hulot from her apartment that night, M. Crevel reveals to him their shared status as her lovers. The two rivals reconcile and confront Madame Marneffe the next day, during which she agrees to consider marrying M. Crevel after her husband's demise, while dismissing any future involvement with Baron Hulot. After their departure, Madame Marneffe implores Cousin Bette to lure Count Steinbock to her, hoping to seduce him and thus...
(This entire section contains 1100 words.)
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further humiliate Hortense.
Financial Entrapments
In dire straits, Count Steinbock accepts Cousin Bette’s underhanded suggestion to borrow from Madame Marneffe. His clandestine visit results in Madame Marneffe’s successful seduction. Once pregnant, she deceitfully claims each of her lovers as the unborn child's father, causing Hortense to abandon Count Steinbock and return to her mother. Her return prompts Baron Hulot to visit Adeline, urging Hortense to reconcile with her husband, which she vehemently refuses, leading to a dramatic confrontation. Taking Hortense’s side, Cousin Bette announces her departure from Madame Marneffe’s employ to manage Colonel Hulot’s household, with an ulterior plan to marry the elderly man and control the remaining family wealth.
Scandal and Ruin
With the Baron's schemes unraveling, Adeline receives a letter from her uncle in Algiers, revealing the discovery of the fraudulent operation and the urgent need for funds to thwart an investigation. Meanwhile, Madame Marneffe demands financial support for her child and career advancement for her husband. One fateful night, Madame Marneffe ensnares Baron Hulot in a trap; M. Marneffe arrives with police, threatening legal action unless he secures a higher office position, forcing the Baron’s compliance.
Tragedy and Consequences
The Algerian scandal erupts, prompting Adeline’s uncle to take his own life. Devastated by the disgrace, Colonel Hulot salvages the family honor by paying off the necessary sum from his personal savings, only to succumb to his grief shortly thereafter. At last, Cousin Bette achieves her long-sought vengeance as Baron Hulot faces complete ruin. Shamed and penniless, he seeks refuge with his former mistress, who provides him a meager allowance and companionship in the form of a young seamstress, with whom he lives in obscurity under an alias. Slowly, Victorin, now a thriving lawyer, helps the family rebuild their fortunes. With Madame Marneffe’s stillbirth and the death of her husband, Victorin takes drastic measures to prevent his father-in-law from falling prey to the same woman. He employs an underworld informant to alert Baron Montès of her involvement with Count Steinbock and impending marriage to M. Crevel. Fueled by jealousy, Baron Montès exacts revenge by infecting Madame Marneffe and M. Crevel with a lethal tropical disease, leading to their untimely deaths shortly after their nuptials.
Renewal and Demise
Dedicating herself to charity in the impoverished quarters, Adeline stumbles upon her husband and brings him back into the family fold. Concurrently, Cousin Bette succumbs to tuberculosis, passing away soon after Baron Hulot returns, having transformed into a devoted spouse. However, old habits resurface when Adeline discovers her husband with the new cook, a rural girl named Agathe, in the servants' quarters. The shock hastens Adeline’s demise three days later. Baron Hulot soon departs Paris and eventually marries Agathe, a scandalous act that prompts Victorin to lament the paradox of parental influence, observing that while parents can obstruct their children’s marriages, offspring are powerless to govern their parents’ choices in old age.
