Senator Hansen is a wealthy, respected merchant from Bremen. Following the death of his son, he finds himself without an heir for his business and fortune. His cook, Lene, and his coachman, Christian, are a young couple, though they lack the financial means to build a life together. Senator Hansen conceives a solution to his predicament: he enters into a contract with them, stipulating that the first child born of their marriage shall belong to him, thereby providing him with an heir.