Denis Marcant is all about business day or night. He neglects his wife Élise and their son Georges. During the winter, Marcant takes them both to the south of France so he can work alone in Paris. During this short stay, he meets his friend Pierre Daumier. Élise had previously helped him to overcome his passion for an evil girl, and Pierre falls in love with her. One day, Georges woos her on his yacht "l'Ibis Bleu" (The blue ibis), and they forget both the time and little Georges. Denis gets an anonymous note about the situation and he finds the child alone, crying near his mother's empty bed. Élise is then thrown out by her husband. She tries to commit suicide but Pierre stops her in time. Pierre's mother intercedes, but more than anything, it is the child's sorrow which makes the man forgive.