In which the arrival of a third suitor, the Duc d’Herouville, stirs whispered rumours and heightened social intrigues around Modeste Mignon’s newfound reputation as an heiress, illuminating the faded grandeur and peculiarities of French nobility in a rapidly changing world. Meanwhile, the interplay of ambition and affection unfolds delicately among the characters, as a poet and a lawyer prepare to present themselves anew in the complex courtship that surrounds the young lady.