The story is laid in France and deals with high society. The principal character, the Iron Master, is a strong, true character of sterling worth who is deeply in love with Claire De Beaulieu, the daughter of a noble family living near to his estate, while she in turn is fondly devoted to Gaston, the Duke De Bligny, and also engaged to him. He, however, is a gentleman of wild habits and eventually loses all his fortune at the gambling table. This fact soon becomes known to Moulinet, a “financier,” who has more money than manners and whose one desire is to marry his daughter into swell society. Being in a position to know of Claire’s financial state, he acquaints the Duke of her entire loss of fortune, and then offers to pay off all his debts if he will marry his daughter. This the Duke consents to do, and Claire, becoming acquainted with the fact, is so deeply humiliated that she, upon the spur of the moment, accepts the hand of the Iron Master in marriage. On the wedding night he learns of the true stat of her heart. He is crushed and broken but still the Iron Master, and he decides that they shall live side by side but that she shall be his wife in name only. She at last realizes the strength and steadfastness of his love when he defends her honor and the insult which the Duke De Bligny, her former lover, has heaped upon her. A duel between the two ensues, and on the morning before she begs for his love, but not until after he has left for the dueling grounds does she learn what is to take place and that he married her knowing she was penniless. She reaches the dueling spot just in time to save the Iron Master’s life and almost forfeits her own instead. It is needless to say that the Iron Master wins her love.