José Echegaray y Eizaguirre

Young José lives with his guardian, Don Julian, a middle-aged diplomat recently married to young Felicia. Society gossips in Madrid find the situation increasingly scandalous.

Elderly Spanish nobleman Don Julian is happily married to Teodora, a beautiful young girl, when his protégé, young poet Ernesto, comes to live with them. Vicious gossip spreads false rumors of a love affair between the two young people and the evil Don Alvarez, the most bitter slanderer of all, goads Ernesto into challenging him to a duel. Don Julian, realizing that the youth is no match for one of the best swordsmen in Spain, forces the slanderer into a fight in which Don Alvarez is slain and Don Julian gravely wounded. Ernesto calls upon the dying Don Julian to convince him of his wife's innocence. Misled by his brother Severo, Don Julian believes the youth has come to visit Teodora, denouncing them both before dying, ironically driving Ernesto and Teodora from the house to face the world together.

A young musician and dreamy, called "Ernesto", is forced to live in Madrid to die his father, in the house of executor of the testament, "don Julio Villamil", who is married to actress Teresa Labisbal, of which "Ernesto Acedo" was enamored platonic. Although the conduct of the young is flawless, a third person causes slander which oblige "don Julio" to fight in mourning to death.

Sibling rivalry reaches dangerous heights when Ernesto suspects his wife Teodora of infidelity and his brother Severo, always resentful, fans his flames of jealousy. A series of events escalate to a duel and tragedy for all involved.

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When the father of the struggling painter Ernesto passes away, he is left in misery. The banker Julián, a friend of the deceased, intends to help Ernesto: he appoints him as his secretary and takes him to live in his house. There, Ernesto meets Teodora, Julián's wife. People gossip about a supposed love affair between Ernesto and Teodora, who go together, without Julián, to see the opera The Thieving Magpie at the Principal Theater.