The story begins with the arrival of the aviator André Jurieux, who touches down at the Le Bourget Airfield on the outskirts of Paris after a daring journey across the Atlantic Ocean. Upon landing, he is met by his friend Octave, who delivers the devastating news that Christine—an Austrian-French noblewoman and the object of André's deep affection—has not come to welcome him. Overwhelmed by heartbreak, André finds himself in the spotlight when a radio reporter asks for his first words upon landing. Instead of a triumphant statement, André uses the broadcast to air his sorrow and publicly denounce Christine.
Meanwhile, in her Paris apartment, Christine listens to the broadcast while being attended to by her maid, Lisette. Christine has been married for three years to Robert, the Marquis de la Chesnaye. It is revealed that Lisette has also been married for two years to Schumacher, the gamekeeper at Robert's sprawling country estate, La Colinière in Sologne; however, Lisette remains far more devoted to Christine than she is to her own husband. The romantic history between Christine and André is no secret, as it is openly known by Robert, Lisette, and Octave. After Christine and Robert engage in a playful discussion regarding André's public emotional outburst, they pledge their devotion to one another. Shortly after, Robert excuses himself to make a private telephone call, during which he arranges a secret meeting with his mistress, Geneviève.
At Geneviève's apartment, Robert claims that their relationship must come to an end, yet he paradoxically invites her to join the couple for a weekend retreat at La Colinière. Christine also extends an invitation to her niece, Jackie. Adding to the complexity, Octave convinces Robert to invite André to the estate as well. The group jokingly suggests that André and Geneviève might begin a romantic relationship, which they believe would conveniently solve everyone's emotional dilemmas.
Upon arriving at the estate, the atmosphere is tense. Schumacher is diligently policing the grounds, focused on eliminating rabbits. Marceau, a poacher, sneaks onto the property to retrieve a rabbit caught in a snare, but he is quickly apprehended by Schumacher. As Schumacher is escorting him off the premises, Robert intervenes and demands an explanation. Marceau claims he has a talent for catching rabbits, prompting Robert to hire him as a servant. Once integrated into the household, Marceau begins to flirt openly with Lisette.
The following morning, the guests participate in a hunt led by Schumacher. During the return trip to the castle, Robert informs Geneviève that he no longer loves her. While Geneviève accepts this reluctantly, she demands one final farewell kiss from Robert—a moment witnessed accidentally by Christine through a monocular. Later, when Geneviève prepares to pack her bags and depart, Christine confronts her. However, Christine eventually persuades Geneviève to stay, reasoning that if Geneviève remains, Robert will pay less attention to Christine, providing her more freedom while André is present.
The tension culminates during a masked ball, where various romantic liaisons unfold behind masks. André and Christine reunite and declare their love, secretly planning to run away together. Simultaneously, Marceau continues his pursuit of Lisette, which sparks intense jealousy in Schumacher. A heated argument eventually erupts between Robert and André over their shared feelings for Christine. In a secluded greenhouse, Octave reveals that he too is in love with Christine. Christine, now harboring doubts about her feelings for André, agrees to run away with Octave instead.
As the plot mirrors the events of Beaumarchais' Marriage of Figaro, confusion reigns. Schumacher and Marceau, both of whom have been expelled from the estate by Robert following a fight over Lisette, spy on the greenhouse. Because Christine is wearing Lisette's cape and hood, the two men mistake her for the maid. When Octave returns to the house to retrieve his coat and hat, Lisette desperately begs him not to leave with Christine.
In a betrayal of his promise to Christine, Octave meets with André and directs him toward the greenhouse, lending André his own overcoat for the journey. When André arrives at the greenhouse wearing Octave's coat, Schumacher mistakenly believes he is Octave attempting to run off with his wife, Lisette. In a fit of rage and confusion, Schumacher shoots André dead.
The film concludes with a chilling sense of indifference. Octave and Marceau walk away into the night, while Robert brings Schumacher back into the household. Robert calmly explains that he will report the killing to the authorities as nothing more than an unfortunate accident.
