The Fidalgos da Casa Mourisca are ruined. Poor management and the pride of D. Luís have led the estate to this situation. However, Jorge, the eldest son, is not happy with this and decides to ask for help from a farmer who has prospered: Tomé da Póvoa. Tomé da Póvoa has a daughter who was educated outside the village and is now returning home. Jorge falls in love with her. But the proud and inflexible D. Luís, Jorge's father, does not agree with either Jorge's proposed economic recovery plan or his passion for a commoner.
The Soares are a bourgeois couple, living in a good neighbourhood of Lisbon, but João, their son, is not integrating well in that pattern. He attends more political meetings than classes at the Faculty of Economy, and gets a job but that's short lived because his female boss makes him her lover. He longs for the coffee shops, and the companions of old, but he doesn't get true love from anyone.
Tony, a trapeze artist, gets a job at a small circus. When a tempest takes away the tent, Tony stays for the love of the beautiful Belmira who could be a rider… if they hadn’t sold the horse. They play at open-air, sleep under the stars, scrimp and save every penny, and soon there’s a new tent to be bought on credit. But Belmira is not happy, she dreams of a real home, while Tony is fascinated by the circus. And the gloomy days are back.
