The Buryja family is a troubled one. The two half-brothers, Å teva and Laca, are at odds: handsome but irresponsible Å teva has inherited most of the family property (notably a valuable mill), along with a favored position in the family’s affections. Laca is further depressed by the hopelessness of his love for Jenůfa , stepdaughter of the KostelniÄka, the stern leader of the Moravian town in which they live. Jenůfa loves Å teva and is pregnant by him, a fact still hidden from everyone else. Sensing that marriage has little part in Å teva’s thoughts and fearing that her lover will be drafted, Jenůfa is on the verge of panic.