A young soldier works as a servant in the house of an army officer. The same clock that wakes him marks his chores over the course of the day with military discipline: cleaning shoes; grinding coffee; taking the children to school; cleaning; grocery shopping (bread, vegetables, and wine); peeling potatoes; storing the wine; dusting the curtains; helping the officer; acting as a model for the lady of the house, who is an amateur painter; teaching her to ride a bicycle; undressing the officer; making dinner and serving it; walking the dog; and, finally, at 9 o’clock at night, winding the clock and going to bed.