Act I

Don Pedro de Vargas, strong man of a 19th-century Andalusian village in southern Spain, Aged 50 and still a bachelor, wants to marry Pepita Jimenez, a beautiful widow thirty years his junior. She has inherited a substantial fortune from her late uncle and husband, the moneylender Gumersindo, who married her when he was nearly eighty years old. Don Pedro is waiting for Pepita in her garden, which features a shrine to the Infant Saviour. In comes Antoñona, Pepita's old wet nurse, who warns him that her mistress is not in love with him but with his son, Don Luis de Vargas, a handsome 22-year-old seminarian born out of wedlock. In spite of his sincere calling, Don Luis has also fallen in love with Pepita, but he is determined to leave the village this same afternoon so he can shortly be ordained a priest. Stunned at first, Don Pedro nevertheless quickly accepts the situation, realizing he is much older than Pepita, and asks Antoñona to help him overcome his son's resistance to marrying her.

When Don Luis comes to say goodbye to Pepita, his father quite bluntly tells him that if he were younger he would certainly not reject the young and beautiful widow. Finally, Pepita herself arrives, accompanied by the Vicar and Count Genazahar. She tells Don Luis she is disappointed that he wants to leave the village before the soirée to be held in her house that same evening on the occasion of the traditional Feast of the Infant Saviour. The young count, another of Pepita's many suitors, who owes her a considerable debt, starts deriding Don Luis, but when the Vicar, Pepita's confidant, comes out in his defence, he retreats coldly. Don Pedro urges his son to postpone his departure and exits with him. Left alone with the Vicar, Pepita, who is at once agitated, contrite and proud, reveals that, after rejecting many suitors, she has fallen in love with the young seminarian, and that he, owing to her efforts, loves her too. They even kissed once. After calming her, the Vicar persuades her of the need to renounce her sinful love.

As soon as he leaves, however, Pepita bursts into tears. When Antoñona finds her sobbing, she ridicules both the Vicar and Don Luis, and Pepita reasserts her love for Don Luis, dismissing the priest's admonitions as sheer hypocrisy. Unexpectedly, Don Luis returns to say goodbye, Antoñona withdraws in anger. Torn, Don Luis explains to Pepita that he must follow his calling. Remorseful and disdainful, she resigns herself. After invoking the Infant Saviour, she leaves Don Luis alone in front of the altar. When Anto˜ona returns, she reproaches Don Luis for seducing Pepita with his saintly demeanour only to abandon her without offering the least consolation. Wishing to see the two lovers married, she urges Don Luis to take his leave from Pepita once more in order to console her. Reluctantly he accepts. But first he wants to know who the Count is that is wooing Pepita. After telling him that the Count wants to marry her to cancel his debt, Antoñona notices he is jealous and leaves pleased.

Enter the Count and two Officers, who are making fun of Pepita, accusing her of marrying Gumersindo, the old moneylender, just to inherit his fortune. Offended, Don Luis speaks out in her defence, explaining that Pepita married her uncle at the age of sixteen in deference to her impoverished mother, and that she is now spending her entire inheritance to help the needy. Don Luis also reminds the Count that he owes her a large debt, and, enraged, hits him across the face. The first act ends with the Count and Don Luis agreeing to fight a duel.

Act II, Scene I

In the same garden, Antoñona is making final preparations for the soirée. Pepita enters, sits down despondently, and sings a hymn in praise of innocent and sacred love. As the guests and farmers, followed by the Vicar and Don Pedro, start arriving, all in turn praise Pepita for her charity and beauty. Anxiously, Pepita notices that Don Luis has not yet arrived. Next to come are the Children, who, on the occasion of the Feast of the Infant Saviour, sing a hymn in His praise and perform a dance. All of this reminds Pepita of happier times, and she faints. Reawakened by Antoñona, she retires to rest.

Scene II

Under cover of darkness, Don Luis approaches Pepita's room. Consumed by his passion for Pepita, he invokes the Infant Saviour, a carving of whom hangs on the wall, to help him avoid temptation and follow his calling as a priest. Don Luis tells Pepita he has come to say goodbye for good. She, however, avows her love for him, recalling how she fell in love with Don Luis during a trip his father organised for her. He urges her not to defile their spiritual union with carnal love, but she declares herself unable to follow him on his mystical flight. Reminding him of their one kiss, she also questions the sincerity of his calling. Close to yielding, Don Luis nevertheless manages to resist. He is about to flee temptation, but she stops him. Hurt and resentful, Pepita threatens to commit suicide and locks herself in her bedroom. On hearing Don Luis banging on the door, Antoñona rushes in. Loud noise is heard from inside the bedroom. Suddenly, the door bursts open. Don Luis catches Pepita, who is close to fainting. Antoñona, on seeing the two lovers united, exclaims happily: "0 'Tona! You're a prophet!".