In a 19th-century Poland, a young merchant named Stanisław Wokulski finds himself caught between the impulse to amass fortune and the entanglements of love. After returning from a trip to Paris, where he has accumulated experience and knowledge, Wokulski falls hopelessly in love with the aristocratic beauty of Izabela Łęcka, a young woman who embodies the world of privilege and superficiality he has always desired. However, his love turns into a game of power and disappointment, as Izabela, consumed by her own selfishness and obsessed with wealth, views Wokulski more as a means to fulfill her whims than as a genuine romantic interest.
As Wokulski struggles to win her love, he also faces growing frustration with the society around him. Amidst the hypocrisy of the nobility and the struggles of the less fortunate classes, his journey becomes a reflection of human dilemmas. The story unfolds through a cast of endearing and complex characters that portray the tensions of a transitional era.
Set against the backdrop of a changing Poland, Wokulski's life reveals the dilemma of a man torn between ambition, unrequited love, and a sense of justice that finds no place in the world. It could be said to be a story of heartbreak and hope, where the quest for personal meaning clashes with the harsh realities of the society that surrounds him.