The narrative follows the fate of a celebrated signet ring once worn by an old General Löwensköld, tracing how its burial with him leads to lingering desire, attempted theft, and misfortune that touch members of the Löwensköld family and their neighbors over time. Through interwoven episodes of family recollection, funerary ritual, and uncanny occurrences, the ring becomes a symbol of ancestral pride, greed, and obsessive attachment, driving disputes and tragedies as successive heirs and bystanders reckon with loyalty, reputation, and the consequences of coveting what is entombed.