A young man who lives with his aunt falls for a free-spirited German model in this uninspired drama. Although he runs off with her for the summer, he returns to his aunt to live off her money after the model and an old flame rekindle their romance. The story unfolds in a series of flashbacks.

Denis, a hypersensitive teenager, is revolted both against his distant, pretentious, well-to-do parents and their superficial society firends and the stiff, intolerant catholic establishment in which he studies. Fortunately,he has an open-minded philosophy teacher, Father Philippe de Maubrun, who understands him and supports him in his distress.