When the rich land owner Velchaninov arrives in St Petersburg, he receives a surprise visit from an old acquaintance, Trusotsky, who has been recently widowed. His late wife, Natalia, was the secret lover of Velchaninov, who realizes that the young child accompanying Trusotsky is his natural daughter. From then on, the destinies of the two men become intertwined as they engage - at turns repelled and attracted by each other - in a dangerous game of cat and mouse that will lead to a fi nal dramatic confrontation.