Anton Hofmiller, a young soldier, serves in the cavalry in a small town in Austria-Hungary, on the eve of World War I. One day, he accepts an invitation to dinner from the richest man in the area, Kekesfalva. There, in the tower of the wealthy family, embarrassed after an unfortunate incident, he will meet Edith, Kekesfalva's daughter, confined to a wheelchair. The sympathy and compassion he feels for the girl will lead him to develop a friendly relationship with her, and his visits to her house will become almost daily. When he realizes that the girl has fallen in love with him, he will feel trapped and responsible for her fate...

Stefan Zweig describes in an artistic way the psychological transitions and conflicts of the hero. He is confronted with painful truths and a multitude of moral dilemmas. Compassion, pity, guilt, remorse, and fear constantly alternate in his soul.