A movie about the demoralization of war. After the hopelessly lost battle two generals shoot themselves. An ordinary soldier murders a family of fugitives and steal all their jewels, but his wife will never see the jewels when he has come home. To make a living for them the wife will take a job as a maid at a rich lady. But the lady never pays her wages. Finally she steals some bedclothes and sells them. The lady reports her to the police. The judge gives her some days to pay back a certain sum, or else she will go in prison. The thought never strikes her husband that he could use his jewels to help her. Anyway, by enormous labor she gathers the money in the last minute. Then she is out for a short time. When she returns her husband had bought a lot of luxury food for all the money. She realizes the consequences. They eat together, and then she shoots herself.