An inappropriate love affair sets a tragic chain of events in motion - Louise Legrand is the wilful young daughter of Madeline and her first husband. Oscar Swain is Madeline's bedridden second husband. Madeline's first mother-in-law offers to pay for Louise to have art lessons, but when Louise falls in love with Daniel, her middle-aged art teacher, and they elope to America, no one realizes it will start a train of events which will lead to tragedy.