Doris, the young wife of Guy, a colonial civil servant in the service of a local sultan, has only recently arrived at her new home on an outpost somewhere in Borneo. She is very fond of the beautiful tropical scenery, and the marriage seems to be a perfect match. The disturbing presence of a native woman, who keeps intruding into their lives, leads Guy to confess that he had lived with her for ten years and is the father of her three children. He explains his behaviour by attributing it to the force of his lonely circumstances. Doris seems to understand and forgive him, yet she cannot tolerate the idea of the black woman having been in her place before, and after six months of torturing doubts and self-questioning, she finally leaves him for good and the native woman immediately resumes her old position.