Ten years after the death of Jean Cadoret, Ugolin's carnation growing business is prospering. Manon is now a beautiful, free-spirited shepherdess who spends her time in the hills and valleys surrounding les Bastides, tending her goats. She lives nearby at le Plantier with Baptistine – ignoring, and ignored by, the villagers who call her 'la sauvageonne', the wild child. In the village of les Bastides, a new school teacher arrives, Bernard Olivier. He has a keen interest in geology and begins to walk the hills in search of specimens, his presence eventually attracting the attention of Manon.
One day, when out hunting, Ugolin comes across Manon who has been bathing and is dancing naked whilst playing her father's harmonica, unaware that she is being overlooked. Ugolin is captivated by Manon's beauty and falls passionately in love with the girl, but is too shy to approach her. He traps birds and rabbits which he then places in Manon's traps as gifts, albeit anonymously, and soon becomes completely obsessed with her. César Soubeyran, realising that something has happened to Ugolin, presses him into a confession, eventually, and after some reservation is delighted with the news, congratulating Ugolin on his choice of partner. Manon reminds César of Florette Camoins, her grandmother, for whom he has many fond memories. However, Ugolin then timidly makes a very clumsy and inappropriate proposal to Manon, at which she is repulsed and runs away from him.
Sometime later, Manon overhears two hunters from les Bastides, discussing how Ugolin had plugged the spring on her father's property, and the fact that everybody in the village knew of the existence of the spring but kept quiet about it. Manon is utterly crushed, she runs away, crying and screaming and swears to take revenge upon Ugolin, César, and the whole village. Her opportunity arrives when, searching for a goat that has strayed and fallen into a cave, Manon discovers the underground stream that serves the whole area, the source of water for both the village and Ugolin's property. She diverts the flow and soon the spring and the village fountain run dry – a catastrophe for the entire population. Ugolin is forced to fetch the water for his flowers from the spring at le Plantier, in exactly the same way Jean Cadoret had done, but soon realises that his carnation business is doomed. The village too is threatened by the absence of water, so the council summons a Government expert to investigate, who tells them nothing can be done and that they are on their own.
The following Sunday, the church is packed for High Mass and the priest tells the congregation that the disaster is God's response to a criminal act which has been perpetrated by one of them. He then calls for a procession to bring the spring back to life. Following the service, the entire village gathers in the schoolyard to celebrate Bernard's birthday when Manon publicly accuses Ugolin and César of having plugged the spring. Her accusation is backed up by Eliacin who had witnessed the deed all those years before. Although admitting to no wrong-doing, Ugolin totally breaks down and falling to his knees, implores Manon to marry him. Many of the assembled villagers then confess to their treachery, as a crushed Ugolin runs back to his house. Sometime later César summons the mayor, Philoxène to les Romarins where Ugolin is found hanging from a tree.
Bernard convinces Manon that she must unplug the spring and they set out in the middle of the night to release the water. The next day, as the priest's procession is taking place, the water begins to flow once more from the village fountain. The devout among them believe they have witnessed a miracle, others dismiss it as mere coincidence. Bernard and Manon marry, and soon she is with child. An ancient resident of the village, the old, blind Delphine returns to les Bastides. She often meets with César in front of the church at dusk to exchange memories of the old days. During one of these meetings, Delphine recalls to César a certain letter that Florette had sent to him while he was away serving in the army, a letter he had never received – and a revelation that will finally shatter his life.
A captivating, emotionally powerful and beautifully photographed epic of innocence, evil, greed and revenge.
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