Carteret, an artist, adopts Célestine, a French orphan, who makes evasive replies to inquiries about a certain young "man," her close acquaintance. A detective watches the movements of Célestine and the mysterious stranger, whom he believes to be implicated in a murder case. The artist, realizing he is in love with his adopted daughter, is about to propose to her when she "elopes" with the stranger, who, it develops, is actually the girl he had adopted and who has married an army officer, Célestine acting as her proxy. Delighted with the turn of events, Carteret decides to marry Célestine at once.