Barcelona, 1860. Mr. Esteve, owner of a haberdashery and proud of his son, attends the christening of his grandson who, years later, determined to become a renowned artist, seems unwilling to continue the tradition and take over the family business. (Only badly preserved and severely mutilated copies of this film survive, just 69 out of a total of 108 minutes.)

Madrid, Spain, early 20th century. A woman turns up dead in a modest home. She turns out to be María la Jerezana, a popular singer who was famous years ago until she disappeared. The Police Commissioner in charge, dissatisfied with the official version, which concludes that the crime was the result of a simple robbery, is determined to find out the truth.

In Madrid, under Queen Isabel II reign, rebellions are frequent events. During one of them Captain Jorge de Córdoba, nicknamed Veneno (poison) for his quarrelsome disposition, bad temper and outright misogyny, is hurt and taken to a house where two women, a widow and her daughter, are to take care of him.