pull of Berlin, focusing on Viktor Schwarz, Liese Prutz, and the powerful Justizrat Joachim. The beginning of the novel follows Viktor, newly lodged opposite the Prutz confectionery, as a playful window flirtation with Liese deepens into courtship amid town gossip and her father’s suspicion. A visit from Viktor’s influential uncle brings an ultimatum: abandon Liese and secure a wealthy Berlin match or lose his career. After an intimate Pentecost tryst, Liese discovers she is pregnant and urges Viktor to ask her father for her hand; instead, he panics, flees to Berlin, and sends a coldly rational letter breaking off. Liese is cast out by her father but taken in by her loyal aunt, while Viktor, aided by relatives, covers his retreat with a story of nervous collapse, angles for advancement in Berlin, and allows himself to be steered toward an advantageous marriage. (This is an automatically generated summary.)