After becoming a teacher, Janis Lazdan returns to his native village in Latgale. In Novie Gudani, he sees black cassocks everywhere. Nuns sit at the bedside of his sick mother. The girl he loves, Lienite, is dressed in the black habit of a novice. Anton, Janis' childhood friend, has become a priest. A struggle begins between Janis and Anton, a subtle psychologist, over Andris, a sickly boy who is extremely impressionable and gifted. Janis understands that the power of the church lies in the indifference of non-believers. He believes in his own strength and love for his loved ones.