1895. Discovery of X-rays. Researchers and scholars are true martyrs, because they do not know how to protect themselves against radiation dermatitis. Professor Belcour has to have one hand amputated, his assistant Henri Vermont, aware of the danger, has the courage to break up with his fiancée. Withdrawn to the countryside, they eventually recover.

On his fiftieth birthday, Serge Charan, a large industrialist overloaded with activities, decides to leave everything to go on an adventure. In a train heading for the Côte d'Azur, he meets six young girls returning to their boarding school. Arrived at their destination, Serge Charan rents, under an assumed name, a villa with a view of the garden of the boarding school. His presence arouses questions and the interest of young girls who are sensitive to his charm. But one of them, Simone, falls completely in love and runs away from boarding school.