In France during World War I, Marthe waits for her husband, Jacques, while he fights on the front lines. Marthe then begins a tempestuous affair with 17-year-old François, with whom she had a dalliance before marrying Jacques. Jealous François struggles with the fact that Marthe is married, while she tries to prove her devotion to her young, hotheaded lover. Things become even more complex when Marthe becomes pregnant with Jacques' baby.

Pursued by the police, Saget usurps the identity of a man who was returning to his town after having made his fortune in the United States. Under this new name, he deceives his compatriots with the exception of a doctor and the savage Isabelle. During an explanation Saget understands that Isabelle secretly admires him. She denounces him and Saget surrenders without a fight. Thus he ruins all his prestige with the young Amazon.

On Christmas Eve, Swiss minister Jean Martens takes in a blind, half-crippled orphan and brings her up among his own four children. But Gertrude grows into a woman and Jean gradually falls in love with her without admitting it to himself. On the contrary, he lulls his conscience by interpreting the Scriptures to his advantage. But neither his wife nor his oldest son are fooled. Following a long-delayed operation, Gertrude recovers her sight but she is not long to find out that sin has corrupted the soul of her benefactor.

During the 1940 exodus, a young girl takes in a baby to whom she becomes deeply attached.

June 1944, a French town towards the end of the occupation. Following several attacks perpetrated by the resistance, the inhabitants who listen to English radio are rounded up by the Germans in a prison and considered as hostages. In one of the cells are found men from all walks of life: an aristocrat, the Viscount of Saint-Leu, Doctor Noblet, a resistance fighter, Béquille the wanderer with a wooden leg, and a strange character nicknamed "Black Market". The latter arouses mistrust among the prisoners, because it could well have been introduced by the enemy.

A stranger named Constant disrupts the life of Flora, who is seemingly happy with her husband Lucien. But she suddenly experiences a passionate love, taking refuge with Constant in a cave they call “home under the sea.”

An old man about to die gives all his fortune to a young beggar he meets in an Arabian town. He takes him to his house (now the poor man's property) and he strongly advises him not to open one of the doors, the seventh door. "I could throw the key into the sea" says the young lad" No use, you'd dive to get it back". The young man is curious and he cannot resist temptation: he opens the forbidden door. A strange world is waiting for him where a girl, Leila, will be his guide .