The story
“A French nobleman of broken fortunes pays ardent court to a rich American widow, sojourning with her attractive daughter in Paris. He determines to win the widow’s money, but plans to marry the daughter. Celia, however, has an American lover who, one day, arrives with his uncle, a wealthy rancher. The uncle is just as much in love with the widow as his nephew is with the daughter. The Frenchman plots to put through his own schemes. He tells the widow that he loves her for herself alone and begs that she transfer her wealth to her daughter, so that he may marry her without being thought a fortune hunter. Meanwhile, the widow has refused to let Celia marry the young American. Knowing this, the nobleman tells the girl that if she will consent to marry him secretly, she then may immediately divorce him, and, with the family fortune in her hands, wed the man of her choice. Both the widow and daughter agree to Count Nervi’s suggestions. The money is put in the girl’s name, and she and the Count are married. The ceremony is but scarcely over, when the nobleman tells Celia that, without her husband’s consent, she is powerless to achieve her freedom, and that he has no idea of giving her up to another man. He exults in his cleverness in winning both the girl and her mother’s money. At this point, ‘the minister’ who has performed the rites, snatches off his disguise, revealing himself as a young American. He and the girl had been married secretly the day before, and had conspired to bring failure and disgrace upon the nobleman. The widow weds a ranchman who is rich enough for them both. And Celia and the American keep their fortune.”
Summary from Reel Life · 1 May 1915
