At the age of 50, the surgeon Privy Councillor Professor Imhoff marries the young, beautiful but poor orphan Annie von Arenberg. On the wedding day, the professor's students put on a ceremonial procession. Annie falls in love with the student speaker Baron Bernfeld. After a few months, she leaves her husband for him. Although the professor can hardly bear the defeat, he does not take revenge, but saves her new young lover's life during a complicated surgical operation.