Hilda, an orphan gifted with the power of healing, saves Duke Ferdinand in a snowbound forest and, after weathering one scheme after another, finds her way into the ducal manor. There she heals the ailing, is adopted by the duke, and is ennobled as a countess. She and the guardian knight Percival fall for each other—yet heavenly decree warns that their love would invite calamity. To shield the realm, the knight marches to war, fighting through blood and feigning death for his country. Hilda's acts of charity and healing move the heavens, and at last the knight returns by miracle. Blessed by the entire nation, the two are finally joined in matrimony.
