Constance, wife of Robert Armitage, neglects her daughter, Virginia. She is extravagant and refuses to aid her husband to live within their income. The Armitages are friendly with the Mandevilles. Frederick Mandeville is a jeweler, and has given his wife a beautiful string of pearls. Constance sees the pearls and desires a similar necklace, and Frederick Mandeville tells Constance that he will show her a magnificent pearl necklace. Constance meets M. Bouet, a famous artist, who asks her to pose for him. Later, Constance visits the jewelry store and is heartbroken because she is unable to buy the necklace. Before her husband leaves on his business trip, he gives her money with which to pay the servants. She succumbs to temptation and decides to use the servants’ money as first payment on the necklace. There has been a mysterious succession of pearl robberies in society circles. M. Bouet is an expert judge of pearls and offers to aid in an endeavor to detect the thief. As time passes, Constance finds that she is unable to meet the payments on the pearl necklace, and she writes to Mandeville to come to her home and get the necklace. When she searches for the pearls, however, she finds them gone. Then she remembers that Bouet had visited her home that afternoon, and she suspects him as being the thief. She rushes to the man’s studio and a few minutes later her husband returns from his business trip, and discovers the string of pearls on the ground. Armitage discovers his wife and the artist together and denounces them. As he returns home, he meets Mandeville, who explains matters and shows him Constance’s letter. Bouet is apprehended and Constance is forgiven by her husband, and she decides to devote more of her time to home and less to society.