The main character of this ironic, intimate story about unrequited love is an older man, Adolf, who tells the story of his greatest failure in love. He has fallen in love with a young opera student, Janička, who, however, only has eyes for men who have a good position in artistic circles. Adolf hatches an ill-fated prank to introduce the girl to his friend Apostolko, a Greek worker. He passes him off as an opera conductor, and Janička falls in love with him. Adolf thus becomes the driving force behind events that ultimately turn against him.