Das ewige Rätsel (1919)

Wertmann, an aging poet, is in the process of writing a novella. Sitting on a garden bench with a stone faun in front of it, he meets eighteen-year-old Eva, the beautiful granddaughter of a charcoal burner. He is fascinated by her, but she laughs and slips away from him. While searching for her, he loses his way in the forest and comes upon the charcoal burner’s hut. He spends the night there and learns that Eva is the charcoal burner’s granddaughter and works as a secretary at the nearby estate. Wertmann goes to the estate and finds that its owner is his old youthful love, along with her son. Wanting to be closer to Eva, he rents a small, idyllic cottage nearby and hires her as his housekeeper. Eva begins to fall in love with Wertmann because of his writings, but still realizes that the age difference is too great. She meets the estate’s owner, Richard, and realizes that she truly belongs with him. Wertmann catches Eva and Richard embracing and understands that youth belongs with youth. When he discovers that Richard is his own illegitimate son, he finally lets Eva go. The two become a happy couple.