Act I
Following the death of his wife Marie, Paul has withdrawn to a room in his home which he calls the ‘Temple of Memory’. There he keeps mementos of his late wife, including a lock of her beautiful long blonde hair. Paul’s friend Frank learns of Marie’s death from the housekeeper Brigitta. When Paul appears, he excitedly describes his encounter with a strange woman who reminds him of his dead wife. When she visits him, Paul discovers that her name is Marietta and that she is a dancer. The lines between reality and imagination blur for Paul. After Marietta leaves, Marie appears to Paul and reminds him of their past love, imploring him to remain faithful to her memory.
Act II
Pauls’ obsession with Marietta deepens. Trying to find her, he meets Brigitta, who tells him that she cannot accept his affair with Marietta, and is leaving his employment because of his affair with Marietta. Paul then meets Frank who tells them their friendship is over because he has become Marietta’s lover. Paul spies on Marietta as she celebrates with her dancer friends and lovers. She decides to reenact with them the dance of Helene in Giacomo Meyerbeer’s opera Robert le Diable. Paul is outraged and interrupts the dance, forbidding her to play the role of a resurrected woman, Marietta sends away her partners. In the dispute which follows, Paul tells Marietta that he was only using her to be united with his dead wife. Marietta succeeds in seducing Paul once again, insisting that this time they will make love in Paul’s home and in Marie’s bed.
Act III
In Paul’s house, Marietta feels she has triumphed over her dead rival. Paul watches in ecstasy as a religious procession passes by his house. Marietta taunts him about his piety and further provokes him by playing with the relics of Marie, including her long hair. When Paul fails to recover the precious hair from Marietta, he throws her to the ground and strangles her with it. Brigitta, seeming to still work for Paul, announces the arrival of Marietta, who has returned to collect the bouquet of roses she forgot. Frank also returns, and encourages Paul to join him in leaving the city of the dead.