Marie is one of her kind. While the other girls are after gold, diamonds and jewels, she swears by ... poverty! She does not remain the companion of a banker too long for obvious reasons. But when she can be the muse of a poor music composer it is fine by her. Unless the musician becomes too famous...! Then, she leaves him! But maybe not forever... He can fall into poverty again, can't he?

A violinist passes on to his daughter three rings which represent three passions of his romantic past, and urges her to save each for men who truly deserve one.She squanders them all on one man who is undeserving.

In Central Europe, resistance to the Germans in growing. But the partisan leader is denounced and killed. His daughter and the son of the traitor love each other. Condemned by his comrades, the informer commits suicide in front of the young couple.