A wealthy antique dealer lives a bachelor’s life with his man servant with whom he served as a Green Beret. His daily ritual of drinking from a green phial and sitting in an armchair day-dreaming of a long lost love, shows his deep seated desire for love. Yet, never having any luck with women, despite his charm and devilishly good looks, he vows to live the life of a bachelor recluse and vows off women. Receiving a telegram from a friend, he learns that he has become the guardian of a certain 17 year old. He is perturbed at first but sets about to prepare for his young charge. That is just the beginning of the changes and surprises that are about to come.
The whole thing with the liquor in the green phial is never clearly connected to the plot – I can only guess it is perhaps a reference to Absinthe and the daydreams are a kind of trip that results from the liquor.