The Brotherhood of Consolation

Godefroid, a young man who has squandered both his opportunities and his fortune, goes to live in the sparse household of Mme. de la Charterie and is charmed by both her and his fellow lodgers. Although he does not know it at first, all the members of the household once held positions of power but have come together to live frugally and dedicate themselves to secretly performing acts of charity. As Godefroid gradually learns their stories of long hardships, he becomes interested in helping them. His first assignment is to determine the worthiness of an elderly man and his incurably ill daughter and then to rescue them...