In the early 1800s, Finnish governor's daughter first detests but soon falls in love with Russian Czar Alexander I who has just taken Finland over from Sweden's rule.

Having squandered their share of their father's inheritance, the Honkavaara brothers Paul and Juho plot to take possession of the inheritance received by their sister Elsa. At Elsa's request, a resourceful private detective sets out to track down the missing will.

Heikki, a drunkard and agitator, steals money from his wife Hanna to go on a speaking tour to a village. There he falls in love with Anna, the beautiful daughter of his host, who is already engaged to Johannes, a farmer.

Once a naïve, love-struck girl now forsaken by her lover, Maija leaves her island home to work as a housemaid in the city, only to be seduced by her employer's son Erkki, then forced to leave the household in order to avoid the scandal of a pregnancy. With few prospects for a decent job, Maija is reduced to working as a bar hostess to make ends meet, ever fending off the advances of disreputable clients, even as she continues to hold out hope for an enduring love that will redeem her from her fate.

Mattila's relatives Konstu and Fransi travel to Helsinki to meet their friend Kalle Liljepeki, who runs a failing general store in Sörnäis. The companions get Maiki, the daughter of the house, and Sundi, a forest consultant. A lot of misunderstandings arise and a story about the devil in Kalle's shop.