The marquis d’Esgrignon, his sister and his friends represent this social group, which the author had already portrayed in la Vieille Fille.

The younger generation within this class, represented by the marquis's son, causes his loss, sucked in by the whirlpool of Paris, where he lives merrily and ruins his fortunes.

Le Cabinet des Antiques works as a sequel to la Vieille Fille although the names of its main characters are not exactly the same.

It is an adventure story, full of twists and with suspense created by the young son that borders on that of a crime novel as he lies and risks imprisonment.

The narrator talks about events he has witnessed, mainly his admiration for Armande d'Esgrignon and a small provincial town where his father, the respectable judge Blondet, still lives.