A winter day at a Polish castle half owned by a fatalistic notary and half by a volcanic old soldier's niece. The old soldier Cupbearer and the notary are sworn enemies which may doom the love between the niece Klara and the notary's son Waclaw. On this day the tongue-tied Cupbearer asks a braggart courtier Papkin to sue on his behalf for the hand of the widow Hanna. Papkin succeeds and the wedding is set for the next day. In response the notary plots to marry Waclaw to the widow to upend Cupbearer's plans. When Cupbearer learns of this perfidy he responds with his own plot. Will there be poison a duel kidnapping and imprisonment; or will fate bring another solution?