Captain Hernande and the Governor are both in love with Dolores. She finally accepts the Captain. The marriage turns out unhappily on account of the Captain’s brutality and dissipation. His wife, Dolores, endures for twenty years the brunt of his weaknesses, only to be glad when he dies in a drunken fit. Later, his son Vasco inherits the weaknesses of his father, but on the advice of his mother, struggles to overcome them. Vasco enters the service of the Governor, and is entrusted with the important papers to be delivered to Philip of Spain. This causes jealousy among the other courtiers, who conspire with an adventuress to dishonor the young man. Using her beauty, she lures him and gets him drunk. He forgets his duty. After ruining him, she casts him off. Vasco is arrested and disgraced by having his sword taken away from him. In the meantime, his mother is at the point of death, and the boy, now realizing his terrible mistake, begs the Governor, for the sake of the love he once bore his mother, to allow him to appear at her bedside wearing his sword and the other insignia of his rank. To this the Governor finally consents. The old mother dies in happiness.