Eyeing the widow Florência’s inheritance, the con man Ambrósio courts her and sets out to remove her heirs from the picture. such as her foster nephew Carlos, whom he promptly sends off to a monastery. The widow’s two children, Juca and Emília, face the same threat. Carlos becomes a novice but, lacking any true calling, makes life miserable for the friars. He also courts Emília, whom he dreams of marrying. The novice repeatedly runs away from the monastery; during one of these escapes, he crosses paths with Flávio. an unscrupulous character who knows about Ambrósio’s history of fraud. and Rosa, the first woman to marry the opportunist and have her assets stolen. With Flávio and Rosa’s help, Carlos manages to expose Ambrósio.