Adrienne Duriez

Jacques Averil mène une vie oisive qui le plonge dans la lassitude et la mélancolie. Lorsqu'il apprend le suicide de son père, banquier ruiné par une sombre spéculation sur le minerai islandais, il décide de se prendre en main. Un vieil ami de son père lui offre l'occasion de s'engager comme matelot à bord d'un terre-neuvas. Sur le chalutier règne la loi du plus fort, voire du plus féroce.

Lefranc is vain selfish man. The only person he loves is his eldest son Bernard, a ship-of-the-line lieutenant. Richard, the youngest son, is a common fisherman. Bernard gets married to a rich heiress, Hélène d'Argel and Richard gets married on the same day with Louise Kermarech, daughter of a fisherman. Years later, Bernard looses his wife and disappears at sea. His daughter Germaine ignores her cousin Gaud and Yvonnic Lefranc. Richard also dies at sea. Germaine will bring grand-father Lefranc closer to his grand-children.

A family of strict magistrates holds firm in protecting one of their members,who commits an error which provokes a storm of outrage.