After her husband's death, Nina's mother remarries a widower from a nearby town. Together with his son he moves to their house. So Nina has a half-brother – Andrew. Nina immediately shows sympathy for him, surrounds him with care, helps him get used to their home and new school.

Young people are in love, but Nina considers their feelings forbidden. She lies that she loves another – the rich handsome Plato, who has long been courting her. Thus, Nina involuntarily crosses the road to her cousin Jeanne, who had her own mercantile plans for Plato. And when Andrew publicly declares his love for Nina, she pushes the young man away. Andrew disappears from her life for many years, but they will meet again.