On the day of the 1946 referendum deciding whether Italy would become a republic or remain a monarchy, Elena and Silvio are turned away from several different restaurants after trying to obtain a meal on credit. They run into a friend of Elena's who invites them to dinner at the home of an elderly Italian princess. The table is filled with snobby aristocrats anxiously awaiting the results of the referendum. They explain that they only allowed them to dinner because they could not have a table with only 13 people. Silvio barely refrains from openly declaring his republican faith in order not to give up their first real meal in days. Finally, the victory of the republic is announced and everyone but Elena and Silvio leave the table devastated at the results of the referendum.