Old Karl Knesebeck has long been head waiter and rules his waiters with an iron fist at the hotel. When the business passes into the hands of the heirs after the owner's death, he's in a difficult position. The unscrupulous Alwin makes advances toward Niddy, the owner's daughter, whose well-being Knesebeck watches over like a father. Alwin demotes the old man to toilet attendant – a tragedy that Knesebeck tries to salvage, especially since Niddy is about to marry Alwin and another man would actually be better for her...

The deaf-mute little girl Angelika is a talented dancer and is trained by a ballet mistress so that she gets the leading role in an opera despite the intrigues of a rival. Angelika's brother gets out of prison and wants to build an honest life for himself, but falls back into the clutches of his former gang, who use him and the unsuspecting Angelika to circulate counterfeit money.