Franco, a young man of noble descent, marries Luisa, daughter of a humble clerk, against his grandmother's will.
During a party a drunken guest falls from the terrace, killing himself. The police inspector in charge of the investigation suspects all the participants in turn, and mysterious stories come to light.
Count Anikoff, a Russian officer, challenges his best friend, Sergei, to a duel when he finds him courting the young woman he, too, is in love with. Sergei can't bring himself to kill his friend. He fires only after taking the bullet out of his pistol. Now, it is the Count's turn to fire...
