Am Amboß des Glücks (1916)

Many envy the millionaire von Hoven, who apparently possesses everything one could wish for. He lives in a castle, women flock around him, and even art connoisseurs consider him a good painter. He also has a respected woman at his side, Baroness Lydia, who evidently loves his millions more than she loves him. Despite this apparent happiness, von Hoven has a problem. The overstimulation and overindulgence that define his life have begun to bore him deeply and have made him lethargic. He is looking for a thrill that might give his life new impetus. Secure in his wealth, he also tends to take liberties with his behavior that are no longer acceptable. One day, out of sheer high spirits, he knocks the serving tray out of his maid Lisbeth’s hands. But the young woman is unwilling to let this behavior pass without comment and quits on the spot. Hoven, who is not used to such a reaction, tries to ridicule the young employee’s response, even though deep down he knows he was in the wrong. Count René, his best friend, who has just returned from a long journey, watches Hoven’s inner transformation with great unease. Soon, Hoven’s behavior seems to be taking a psychosomatic toll as well. The millionaire’s health grows steadily worse. René is willing to help his friend, but only if Hoven gives him a general power of attorney, allowing him to represent Hoven in all matters and giving him access to all his accounts. Hoven thinks it over briefly and finally agrees. But the following evening, in front of guests, the millionaire is utterly astonished when René tells him to leave his own house at once because René needs it for himself. Shocked and deeply shaken by his “friend’s” betrayal, Hoven is reduced to poverty and comes to learn what real hardship means. Hoven goes to his lawyer, but the lawyer explains that, legally speaking, René’s actions are entirely proper and must be accepted as irrevocable. Hoven also fails in his attempt to sell one of his own paintings for 5,000 marks, hoping at least to ease his most urgent need. His only remaining lifeline is his fiancée, Lydia, but now that he is as poor as a church mouse, she coldly rejects him. Hoven is completely at a loss and wanders aimlessly through the streets. One day, he comes upon a blacksmith’s forge in the woods. The blacksmith proves to be a good-natured fellow who listens well and helps restore Hoven’s spirits. The craftsman tells him he should have more faith in his own abilities, and hires him as his journeyman. Hoven throws himself into the work and falls into bed exhausted each evening. He also meets again the blacksmith’s daughter, whom he had once hired as a maid and then treated so improperly, and a tender bond develops between them. Von Hoven asks the blacksmith for his daughter’s hand in marriage, and the blacksmith agrees. The young couple leave the church radiant and climb into a carriage that is supposed to take them to their new, modest home. But the carriage heads in a completely different direction and stops outside the castle. Hoven is utterly surprised, and even more astonished when he recognizes the coachman: none other than Count René. He warmly welcomes the couple and leads them into the great hall, where all his friends and acquaintances have been waiting for him for some time. René tears up the power of attorney in public and reminds von Hoven that in future he should learn to distinguish true happiness from false.