Official Nikolai Pokrovsky marries young Vera, his colleague. The newlyweds are not quite happy. Necessity makes Vera sell home-made cakes. Arriving from America, Obolensky, a longtime friend of Pokrovsky, conquers the heart of Vera from the first days of their acquaintance. She does not refuse him trips out of town and soon her behavior becomes public. Upon learning of his wife's infidelity, Pokrovsky, before their eyes, commits suicide. Consciousness of guilt acts heavily on Vera - she loses her mind.