The happy return of the Martson couple to the family estate is overshadowed by a chance meeting on the road. An unfamiliar fellow traveler, whose company Colonel Märtson shuns, casts seeds of doubt into the soul of the young newlywed: what prompts her husband to hide the mysterious disappearance of his first wife? Nevertheless, life on the estate near New Orleans flows surprisingly calmly and serenely. The approach of the annual masquerade ball on Mardi Gres brings some excitement, and city rumors once again bring to life forgotten suspicions - Colonel Märtson's wife disappeared on the eve of the holiday.