The film, an adaptation of the novel of the same title by Benito Pérez Galdós, tells the story of an aristocrat's search to discover which of his two putative granddaughters resulted from an extramarital affair by his daughter-in-law.

His son died heartbroken after discovering his wife was having an affair with a Parisian painter, leaving a letter stating that one of the girls is an illegitimate child, not of his blood, and therefore not entitled to be his true heir or successor to his name and country estate.

Lucrecia, now 32, is an English-born beauty with a scandalous reputation, who married the Count’s son when she was 18 and was unfaithful to her husband during their marriage, having an affair with a Parisian painter.

Confronting her, the Count of Albrit, who opposed the match, tells her she killed his son, who died of sadness, loneliness, and shame brought on by her infidelity.

When she sees her family relationships and a future move from the provinces to Madrid threatened, she tries to use her standing with the town’s authorities and the local clergy to thwart the old man in his quest.

Their plan is to have the Count of Albrit confined to a nearby monastery, but the still-formidable Don Rodrigo quickly realizes their intentions and manages to escape their trap.

During his quest to find the true origin of his granddaughters, the Count of Albrit befriends the girls' teacher, poor old Pío Coronado.

Too kind for his own good and saddled with six unseen but abusive and sluttish daughters, Coronado would like to kill himself, but he lacks the courage.