A college story with a fatal outcome, as the devout Joseph Day fears love. Shyly, he followed her into the room, where he could hardly recognize the furniture, so covered were they with clothes, hats, and boxes. A white silk blouse shamelessly opened its sleeves on the rocking chair, and on the unmade bed lay flesh-colored stockings and a peach-colored nightgown piled on top of each other. Horrified, he turned away. Joseph Day, an untouched young man from the mountains, is studying Greek, history, English literature, and biblical exegesis in Virginia in 1920. He is very religious and of simple mind. With his religious fervor and fiery red hair, he stands out to his classmates. They want to cure him with a prank: Moira, a sensual and seductive young woman, agrees to play along.