Sometime in the 1700s, Mikkel, a farmer from Jutland, wants to marry off his daughter Cecil to the wealthy Mads Egelund, but she is in love with the haberdasher Esben. Mads proposes, but does not receive a definitive answer. Shortly afterwards, Esben leaves for Holsten on business, and Cecil vows to wait for him. A couple of years pass. After an attempt to force Cecil to marry Mads, she is now in a state of insanity. Esben returns home happy and prosperous, but Cecil does not recognize him and, ...