Ridicule

In 18th-century France, the penniless aristocrat and engineer Ponceludon de Malavoy devises a plan to drain the marshes of the Dombes to reduce disease and improve the peasants' lives. He believes solving a practical problem will win him influence at court and advance his standing. This ambition sets the story in motion.

Ponceludon sets off for Versailles to seek support from King Louis XVI for his drainage project. On the road he is robbed and beaten, but he is taken in by the Marquis de Bellegarde, a physician who becomes his mentor. Through Bellegarde, he begins to glimpse the realities of court life and its pretenses.

Bellegarde teaches him wit and introduces him to the court's social machinery, giving him access to the inner workings of Versailles. Ponceludon realizes the court is corrupt and hollow, chasing status and spectacle rather than noble aims. This awakening sharpens his resolve to pursue his project on moral terms.

Mathilde de Bellegarde, Bellegarde's daughter, becomes a beacon of possibility for his future. She agrees to marry a rich old man to support her scientific experiments and help pay her father's debts. Their evolving bond complicates but also deepens his mission.

Madame de Blayac, a wealthy widow who was to sponsor Ponceludon's court ascent, cheats at a game of wits with her lover, L'abbé de Vilecourt. Ponceludon notices the deception but chooses not to expose her to protect her reputation. The episode foreshadows how court morals can be murky and self-serving.

Blayac arranges for certification of Ponceludon's lineage to legitimize his marriage prospects and enable his suit at court. The strategic move buys him time and lends weight to his project. Ponceludon remains wary of the court, yet recognizes the value of such maneuvering.

Ponceludon sleeps with Madame de Blayac in exchange for help arranging a meeting with the King. Blayac then has Bellegarde attend, ensuring that Mathilde learns of the relationship. The revelation hardens Mathilde's stance and tests Ponceludon's loyalties.

Ponceludon joins the King's entourage and secures a private meeting to present his drainage plan. A cannoneer insults him, forcing him into a duel that tests his honor and risk of royal disfavor. The incident marks a turning point in his relationship with the court.

Ponceludon kills the cannoneer in the duel, and learns that the King cannot meet with someone who has killed one of his officers. He is told that defending honor may come at the cost of royal favor. This moment underscores the court's dangerous, unforgiving logic.

Madame de Blayac schemes revenge by inviting Ponceludon to a costume ball 'only for wits.' At the ball he is tripped and ridiculed, but he tears off his mask and condemns the court's decadence. He vows to drain the swamp himself and leaves the court with Mathilde.

Some years later, in 1794, the Revolution has forced many nobles into exile. The Marquis de Bellegarde, a refugee in Great Britain, speaks in nostalgic terms about his old acquaintance. He reveals that Ponceludon, ever faithful, has continued their work alongside Mathilde.

Ponceludon finally completes draining the Dombes with Mathilde as his wife, fulfilling his lifelong goal. The couple's partnership endures despite court chaos, illustrating a patient, enduring victory. The story closes on their quiet triumph amid upheaval.