A businessman on the verge of bankruptcy, Mercadet, is harassed by his creditors. To keep them waiting, he invents a fictitious partner, Godeau, who has gone to make his fortune in India and who should return laden with gold. The heart of the plot is therefore this famous Godeau whom we spend our time waiting for, and who never comes. While waiting for Godeau, Mercadet has a rich idea: to marry his daughter Julie to Monsieur de la Brive, whom he believes to be very rich.