Hungarian-born Laszlo Szabo returned to his native country to play the part of Dibusz in this comedy. When the residents of a large old house learn that it is to be torn down and that they will be relocated elsewhere, an intense game gets underway. As is usual in such instances, the residents will be given new apartments commensurate in size with their old ones. Dibusz sees this as an opportunity to temporarily enlarge his "assigned" space in the condemned building. He wants to be reassigned to an apartment which is larger than his current bathless one-room space. He and a neighbor cooperate to break down the walls that separate their spaces from that of an old woman who just died after a brief tussle. Still not satisfied, he tries to marry one of two spinster women who live together but is rejected. In the course of the film, he has intense encounters of one sort or another with anyone who might be of help to him in his quest.

In Burgundy, persecuted Huguenots are dragged to the scaffold. The lord of Corneville, the Huguenot Marquis de Corneville, and his friend Count Grusenet are also facing the death penalty and must flee. The Marquis's property, the Count's daughter, is entrusted to Father Gaspar. Twenty years pass. Father Gáspár has now raised two orphaned daughters, the daughter entrusted to his care and a foundling. Serpolette is one of them, dreaming that one day she will be discovered to be of noble birth. Serpolette is in love with Grenicheau, a clever, cunning fellow, but he is more in love with the other girl, Germain. Germain is destined to be a judge by her stepfather, but she hopes a prophecy will come true that she will marry the man who will come from the sea and save her life, so she refuses him.

Based on a true story, a love affair develops between a half brother and half-sister. When pregnancy results and word gets out the public is outraged.