凯蒂(葛丽泰·嘉宝 Greta Garbo 饰)家世清白面容姣好,但一直都待嫁闺中,随着年龄的增长,她对婚姻的渴望与日俱增,生怕自己变成了没人要的老姑娘。在这个节骨眼上,一位名为瓦尔特(赫伯特·马歇尔 Herbert Marshall 饰) 的医生出现在了凯蒂的身旁。虽然瓦尔特个性孤僻寡言少语,并非凯蒂心目中的白马王子的样子,但是迫于压力,凯蒂还是答应嫁给他为妻。
(Katrin) -It doesn't seem to matter I mean, forgiving you. Walter might be dying. It's all of this. You and I are the story by ourselves. But that's all gone. That's why I lost Walter, thinking of myself. And if he dies... Oh! Father in the Heaven! Father in the Heaven... Oh, I pray if it first to tell him how much I love him. You see he doesn't know that. It is still only thing here that ask the Heaven for. He never seen else. He gives, his life, his work, everything he does, is love. Every second, every hour. It's another language. It's another word. And that's what I'm trying to understand. Oh, don't make me say any more.
以下是尾声的病房相见情景对白:
(Katrin)-Walter, Walter, (Walter)-I was a million miles away, a million miles. (Katrin)-Don't go back. Don't leave me. (Walter)-Oh... I won't go. (Katrin)-I love you.