1865, the Civil War ended, General Ezra Mannon and his son Orin, a young officer, returned home. During their absence, Christine Mannon, Ezra's wife, became the mistress of her own nephew, Adam Brant, the ex-fiance of her daughter Lavinia.
Orin Mannon returns from the war. with feelings for his mother as excessive as Lavinia for her father. Informed by Lavinia of the conditions of his father's death, Orin thinks less of avenging his father than of eliminating a "rival".
Lavinia and Orin return from a trip to the South Sea Islands where they tried to forget the double tragedy they experienced. Now Orin has transferred his exclusive love for his mother to Lavinia.
