Swept up in the aestheticism movement, all of the well-to-do ladies in the village are vying for the attention of the two contrasting aesthetic village poets. Alas, their efforts are to no avail as both poets' hearts are set on Patience, the village milk-maid. Patience, who claims to have never loved a soul, is too embroiled in her own endeavours to be interested. However, this all changes when an old childhood friend reappears…