Ingeborg is a respectably dour woman who teaches piano to village youth and runs a rooming house, and has undoubtedly sacrificed much for the sake of her foster daughter.

Jenny has had a rough past, involving prostitution and other scandals, but now owns a beauty salon which affords her a few comforts in life, material and otherwise.

Jenny's purpose in coming was to meet up with Nelly at a charity ball, and when Jack learns about the event he's more than happy to inject more liveliness into the affair than the village elders had in mind.

While in the city, Jack seduces Nelly by telling her that he previously murdered his pregnant wife and child while they slept, by turning up the gas then claiming it was an accident.

At the film's close, village life has returned to the calm normalcy of the opening scenes, though now with a relationship between Nelly and Ulf beginning to develop.