Hinrich, the son of a feudal German landowner, falls in love with the beautiful daughter of one of his father's serfs despite opposition from both families. But when he actually offers marriage to her, this is going too far. The return of his brother Detlev, with an unscrupulous aristocratic bride of his own and a rival claim to their father's estates, proves to be the trigger for tragedy.
A man and a woman struggle to stifle their love for each other, even after he moves away to travel the world and she marries a suitor.
Freely adapted from Theodor Storm's novella of the same name.
