Owing to his gambling proclivities, Viscount de Lancry is reduced to a state of absolute penury. Mathilde, a niece Mme. De Rochegune, is courted by the Viscount and Chevalier Lugarto. She favors the latter. Knowing that his rival cannot marry Mathilde without money, the Chevalier, through his diabolical machinations, inveigles the Viscount into accepting a check for 20,000 francs. But the Chevalier does not intend to help his rival, the offering of the check being given for the sole purpose of confirming his belief that the Viscount is without money. The Viscount leaves the room and upon returning, he finds a note from the Chevalier to the effect that he has left for abroad. Being unable to find the check, and thinking that it must have been lost the Viscount forges the signature of the Chevalier to another, cashes it and receives the money. A few days later the Chevalier calls upon the Viscount and is well received. Ignoring the fact that he had received a check from the Chevalier and that he had taken it away from him while he was out of the room, the former reveals his true character and forces the Viscount to sign a paper acknowledging that he obtained the 20,000 francs by forgery Even though he finds himself in the villainous clutches of the Chevalier, the Viscount marries Mathilde. Fearing that his wife will learn of his illegal deed, the Viscount goes to the Chevalier and begs that he destroy the incriminating paper But he is informed that the paper has been sent to the Chevalier’s lawyers in London. As soon as the Viscount has left for abroad, the Chevalier lures Mathilde to a place where she is at his mercy. He is about to show Mathilde her husband’s confession of forgery when it is quickly snatched away from him by Mr. de Rochegune, who has learned of the abduction. The Chevalier tries to escape through the chimney, but meets his death there by suffocation.