Quiver of Fear

František Vinický, one of the leaders of the 1848 Prague revolution, is released from prison after an eight-year sentence. His father and brother are not really welcoming to him - he, after all, endangers their white-collar positions. František lodges in a flat from his co-prisoner who had just died. He hides his diary behind a painting. At the funeral, he meets the patriot Antoš. The atmosphere is suffocating. The secret policemen pursue everything and people are afraid. Vinický wants the publisher Trojan to publish his book. He, however, needs police approval for this and councillor Berger asks František to write pro-regime newspaper articles in exchange. František refuses and, on Trojan's advice, tries to find someone impeccable who would cover the authorship with his own name. It can be possibly done by the friend Ledecký, but his wife is pregnant and Ledecký withdraws from his initial consent. The successful writer Květoň requires half of the royalty for his help and moreover wants to rewrite several passages. František finds his big love Ida, but she has meanwhile married councillor Berger and has a daughter by him. František is running out of money and needs work. The publisher of the Prague News, named Sedlaczek, offers him the position of editor if František will publicly dissociate from his revolutionary past. Eventually, František Vinický gets at least the work of a scrivener with Antoš's help. His diary has disappeared. The flat was probably searched by the police. František wants to leave the country and needs a forged passport. Ida secretly meets with him and the councillor Mayer vainly tries to prevent it. Antoš promises to get the passport but wants Vinický to get five hundred guldens from attorney Brůna and another five hundred from professor Klimeš, former members of the Students Legion, from the legion's fund which they keep. Antoš needs the money to prepare an assassination of the hated general Windischgrätz. Councillor Berger forces František to sign a collaboration agreement with the secret police, threatening him with deportation. Vinický hopes to escape from the necessity to denounce others by going abroad with Ida. Klimeš gives him the money from the fund, but Brůna refuses and causes the conspirators' arrest. Antoš escapes and Berger releases František with the aim of getting a lead in his investigation. But František secretly shakes off his pursuers and hides at Ledecký's place, whose wife died during childbirth. The police decide to discredit Ledecký. The newspapers publish a made-up report about his collaboration with the police headquarters. František gives Ida money to buy train tickets and they agree to meet at a railway station. In the meantime, Antoš's wife tells František the time and place where he should wait for the passport. Antoš indeed arrives and gives Vinický the documents, but then stabs and kills him for a presumed betrayal. The gravediggers - watched by the secret police - put an unmarked coffin into a grave by the cemetery wall.