A small circus has come to a village, where they pitch their tent. Minka, the female rider and star of the circus, is tired of this life in poverty and constant traveling. Her lover, who also is the manager and clown of the circus, begs her to cheer up, but she just wants to lie down. When the troupe is parading through the village, they meet a count outside his castle. The count falls in love with Minka and they start meeting each other in secret. When the count asks Minka to marry him, she sneaks away from the circus. The circus-manager sees this and follows her until she slips into the castle, where he pulls the handles of the locked doors in vain. Ten years later Minka and the count visit the circus. When the circus-manager sees his old fiancée, he is torn by sorrow, and drops dead.