On the deck of the Aalborg boat, the young girl Elly stands and stares at Copenhagen's towers and roofs, shining in the red glow of the afternoon sun. Elly has been lucky, she thinks: a maid in a boarding house in Nansensgade, her own room and a good salary. However, Elly is quickly disappointed. The boarding house is dirty, and after advances from one of the boarders, she packs her suitcase. She meets Agnes, a girl from home. Agnes takes Elly under her wing and gets her a place in a hotel and offers her half of her attic room. Elly feels safe with Agnes, but then one day a young man crosses her path.