Year after year lord Wakefield comes to Vang to fish. One summer he meets beautiful Anne and falls in love. The following spring Anne gives birth to a daughter and leaves the baby and drown herself. The local man of the law takes care of the child and calls her Kristine Valdresdatter.

In beautiful Telemark, a young boy grows up on a rich farm. To his fathers dislike, he wants to be a fiddle player, just like the son at the poorer neighboring farm. One day the father is found dead.