Gertrud es una mujer madura e idealista que busca el amor absoluto, con mayúsculas, pero sus experiencias sentimentales se ven siempre abocadas al fracaso. Decide separarse de su marido, un eminente político, porque él antepone el trabajo al amor. Se enamora de un joven músico que empieza a cosechar sus primeros éxitos, pero para él, que sólo piensa en sí mismo, Gertrud no es más que una aventura pasajera. Por otra parte, un antiguo novio poeta reaparece en su vida con la pretensión de que reanuden su antigua relación.
Anders returns to Denmark to visit his ill mom too late. Her lawyer tells him he's the illegitimate child of an estate owner. He goes there incognito and works on the big farm and falls for the maid and later for a gold digger.
Helga is on a farm, where she is seduced by her husband, Per Mortensen. As it turns out she is with child, she gets a tough time among local residents. They consider it the greatest shame that can befall a young, unmarried girl. Per refuses bargain to be the father of the child. Her parents can not afford to keep the baby, so she tries to go to court - without result. Fortunately, she gets a new duty station at Torpegaarden where she thrives. In particular, she has a good eye to his son on the farm, Gudmund. He also liked the young girl
