In 1919, an American boy has temporarily retreated to the French countryside with his father, an American diplomat who is there to help negotiate the Treaty of Versailles, and his mother, who is German born. After rehearsing for a church pageant the boy throws rocks at the other children and their parents and then runs into the woods. When he returns he sees his father who has been drinking with family friend Charles Marker. The boy is forced to apologize to the townspeople and though he is unrepentant he is forgiven.