Sylvestre Bonnard, a member of the Institut, has been living comfortably in his library. Invited to stay with friends, he meets the kindly Jeanne Alexandre and discovers that she is the granddaughter of one of his childhood sweethearts. He falls in love with her. Jeanne is under the thumb of her tutor, Maître Mouche, and Mlle. Préfère, a cantankerous boarding school headmistress. Outraged by the actions of his two accomplices, and without realizing the seriousness of his act, Sylvestre Bonnard kidnaps Jeanne. He could be prosecuted, but the indelicate notary disappears without a forwarding address. With her benefactor's blessing, Jeanne is able to marry his favorite pupil, Gélis.
