Henri Serin (Jean-Pierre Marielle) is a middle-aged travelling umbrella salesman from Saumur who lives a sexless and unhappy married life with his puritan wife (Gisèle Grimm) and two children.

Émile (Bernard Fresson), a rude and carefree painter who lives in a cottage near Riec-sur-Belon meets Henri and invites him to stay at his house while the car is being fixed.

However, one day Angela suddenly leaves him and disappears, and Henri becomes a drunkard, butt of jokes in the town, and a painter unable to sell a single painting.

Marie (Jeanne Goupil), the teenage maid working at the pension Henri stays, is apparently in love with him but he seems to neglect her because his mind is too occupied with Angela.

Eventually, Henri and Marie begin to live together and are seen happily selling galettes and toffee apples on a Névez beach.