Álvaro, a serious and stern man, owner of a stately Galician manor house, leads a monotonous life devoted to studying and managing his property. But one day he falls in love with his maid Marcela, who was abandoned at the manor by her mother, an unmarried woman with a bad reputation. Only the old woman who took care of her treated her with affection; everyone else believes she is cursed and blames her for all sorts of misfortunes. Despite everything, Álvaro marries her. However, the gossipmongers continue to slander her, making the marriage so unhappy that Álvaro also begins to suspect her.