The Marquis de la Seiglière returns to France once the Revolution is over. His possessions, which had been sold as material properties, had been purchased by Stamply, a farmer. The latter restores them to the Marquis, who decides to allocate old Stamply with the use of a corner of his manor. Hélène de la Seiglière, the Marquis's daughter, takes care of the old man. But this one, devastated by death of his son, buried under the ice of the Berezina, dies. Some time later, three persons come to liv...