As a young boy, Tommaso's (Gerard Darier) interest in women and in his cousin Marta (Mariangela Melato) in particular, inspired him to bore peep holes into her wall and vicariously partake of her forbidden private life, including her wedding day. Time goes by, and after living through many changes going on around him, Tommaso has grown up and is now a soldier in the military. When he sees cousin Marta at a train station one day, he jumps off his train, talks to her for awhile, and tries to give her some strength to face the various problems in her life. Both Marta and Tommaso suffer deceptions over the next crucial period -- Marta becomes estranged from her husband, and her daughter is more distant with each passing day. Tommaso's faith in humanity is dealt a few sharp blows as he watches a friend stoop to embezzlement and then is seduced by the same friend's wife. The youthful dreams of both cousins seem to deteriorate with time, perhaps leading the way to another stage in the "growing up" process.