Linda Tressel lives a lonely life with her domineering aunt, Madame Staubach, in a large house in Nuremberg. Madame Staubach takes in the odious and much older Peter Steinmarc as a lodger and plans that Linda should marry him – entirely against Linda’s will. Meanwhile Linda falls in love with Ludovic Valcalm, a disreputable young man. The book follows Linda’s fortunes. - Summary by Simon Evers