Lieutentant Thomas Glahn lives with his dog Aesop in a small cabin, withdrawn from the rest of the world. In the store of the merchant Mack, he gets to know Edwarda, Mack’s daughter. Edwarda takes the initiative to try and see Glahn again. A tender love develops between the two of them. Even Eva, the smithy’s wife, feels drawn to Thomas. She visits him and confides in him. An affair develops between Eva and Thomas, which Edwarda knows nothing about. Thomas is caught between the two women, in that he loves Edwarda, but can’t resist Eva’s attraction. Mack has a different opinion about her daughter’s new husband.