Old man Maoudet often tells of the legend of Saint Yves whose eye sometimes lights up to save the sailors lost at sea and everyone listens in awe. Father Le Gouëc, greedy and hard, as decided to marry Marivonne to Le Roux who is rich. But Marivonne loves Jean-Marie. Jealous, Le Roux asks his future father-in-law to "burn out the eye of Saint Yves" which he does when his son Yvon and Jean-Marie are at sea. The next day, little Yvon's body is found but not Jean-Marie's. Jean-Marie suddenly appears in the grieving house of the Le Gouëcs. When he tells of the wreck, Le Gouëc understands that he caused his son's death. Sorrow drives him mad: he throws himself on Le Roux and they both fall into the sea.