Having been instrumental in saving Ebba from the fire, Holk is determined to divorce his wife and to embark on a new and more exciting life away from the confines of a stifling marriage. His decision is influenced by the knowledge that his children, who hitherto provided entertainment and loving interest for both their parents, will soon cease to be part of the quiet domestic routine at Holkenäs. For Christine has been engaged in finding them suitable boarding schools so that they may at long last be educated to the level their she deems appropriate for the offspring of illustrious families.