Fires and Burnt Out Places

Research institute director Maška and his family are having supper in his plush villa. The arrival of an unexpected visitor pleases the director's son Otakar - it is his former schoolmate and friend Lumír Brabec. Brabec has broken off relations with his family and left his job and the town where he used to live. Otakar is delighted to see him and employs him in the brickworks where he is one of the managers. He even puts him up in the villa. Otakar's attractive sister Lída is just finishing university and she takes a fancy to the handsome Lumír. Although she has an official suitor in the shape of Dr Polák, she prefers Lumír and the two become lovers. Lumír starts off in dispatch. He is honest and hardworking and some of the practices in the stores astonish him. Scarce glazed ceiling elements are listed as test samples and so a great many of them do not appear in the final production figures. Otakar is just completing construction of a new house for his wife and the child they are expecting. Mrs Maška catches her daughter in Lumír's room and throws the tenant out, but Lída is obstinate and finally gets her parents to accept Lumír as her bridegroom. He is then promoted to technologist in the brickworks and gets a flat. The wedding takes place. Lumír soon discovers that Otakar, now his brother-in-law has been involved in major fraud - the "test" products have been sold under the counter. Lumír is honest and honourable, refuses to yield to Otakar's blackmail and reports the matter to the police. Otakar is arrested. Lída leaves Lumír, and only her father apologizes to him for the family.