A collection of short scenes portraying highlights of Dutch history, from the Eighty Years' War to King Willem I's return from exile. This film was made to commemorate the centenary of the Dutch royal family.

Raymond is a painter who is very successful in his career. One day, he walks into a saloon and his eyes fall on the beautiful Jennie. She poses for one of his paintings and later runs off with all his money. When they meet again, they fall head over heels in love and get married. She is forced by Apaches to steal from him again, but Jennie refuses. In revenge, they lock her up and go after Raymond themselves. They attack him and lock him up as a living mummy in a sarcophagus. He is eventually rescued and reunited with Jennie, while the Apaches themselves are locked up.

Boris wins a violin competition, and Countess Montjoie, an admirer, gives him an inherited Stradivarius on the condition that he comes to play for her regularly, as she does not have long to live. During one of those evenings, he meets Elsa, the daughter of the countess's handyman. They fall in love. One day, he leaves his mother to look after the violin, but when a fire breaks out, Boris has to go to extreme lengths to save the countess's violin. Fortunately, he manages to rescue the violin from the raging fire and is able to play a farewell serenade at the countess's deathbed.

Silvia grows up in miserable circumstances. Her father is an incurable drunk who neglects his family. His first daughter was stillborn, the second died at a young age, and the third was only eighteen when she went mad and died.

The story revolves around extortion and blackmail, with a notorious con artist making life impossible for everyone else.