- In a provincial Spanish town, during the mid-nineteenth century, Manuela is sold as a dancing girl to a strolling musician. In their wanderings, she meets Don Bartolome, who left his poor father Don Luis to become a highwayman. Bartolome falls in love with Manuela and takes her with him after killing the musician. When they meet Osmund Manvers, an English squire, Bartolome wants to use Manuela to rob him, but Manvers rescues Manuela from a gang of drifters and carries her into the country. Later, Manuela stabs and kills Bartolome after he threatens her. Manuela flees and Manvers searches for her. When Don Luis learns about Bartolome's death, he challenges Manvers to a duel. After Manvers refuses, Tormillo, Don Luis' servant, stabs Manvers in the arm. When Manuela offers her life to Don Luis to save Manvers, Don Luis relents, but Tormillo remains frantic. Manvers' valet and friend, Gil Perez, prepares poison for Tormillo, but Tormillo demands that Gil Perez drink first. To save Manvers and Manuela, first Gil Perez drinks the poison, then Tormillo drinks it, after which they both die. Manvers and Manuela are now reunited.—Pamela Short
- Manuela, daughter of a water seller in a provincial Spanish town, is sold as a dancing girl by her father to a strolling musician. In the course of her wanderings she meets a young man calling himself Esteban Vincas, in reality Don Bartolome Ramonez de Alavia, only son of a Spanish Hidalgo, Don Luis, who lives in poverty in his home in Valladolid. To escape the grind of poverty Bartolome runs away and becomes a thief and vagabond. Meeting Manuela, he falls in love with her and runs away with her, after stabbing the musician. Meantime, in England, Mr. Osmund Manvers has experienced an unhappy love affair, and to seek forgetfulness plans a horseback trip through Spain. He comes upon Manuela and Bartolome at a wayside inn. Struck by Manuela's beauty, he contributes a gold piece to the cup which she passes, and rides away without seeing Bartolome. The latter, however, determines to follow him and use Manuela as a lure to rob him. The next day Manvers rides into Valladolid, followed by Bartolome and Manuela, but as the two follow in through the city gate they are met my Don Luis and his servant, Tormillo. Don Luis pleads with the boy to return to his home, but Bartolome refuses and Don Luis departs heartbroken. This is the first intimation Manuela has ever had that her lover is of noble family. In pity for Don Luis, she begs Bartolome to leave her and return to his father, threatening to leave him if he refuses. He answers this by threatening to kill her if she attempts to leave him, and, with Manuela waiting for him outside the gate, follows the Englishman into the city. While waiting Manuela is annoyed by a gang of Spanish vagabonds. Spurring in among the gang, Manvers rescues the girl and carries her away into the country toward Madrid. Bartolome, returning, discovers Manuel's escape and pursues and overtakes them towards noon in the woods, where Manvers pauses for lunch. Manuela, although terrified, makes no sign of recognizing Bartolome, and Manvers, unable to snub him, invites him to share their lunch, immediately leaving the two together while he goes to take a swim in a nearby stream. As soon as they are alone Manuela asks Bartolome what he wants. He replies that he has come to kill her. In desperation, the girl reclines in Bartolome's arms, and before he knows what she is doing, stabs him in the back, killing him instantly. Manuela drags the body out of sight and flies to Madrid on Bartolome's mule, leaving Manvers her sole possession of any value, a crucifix, which she places conspicuously on the loaf of bread forming a part of his lunch. Manvers returns, finds the two gone, surmises a love affair, eats his lunch and goes peacefully to sleep, although slightly touched by the discovery of the crucifix. He is awakened by the sound of digging. Behind the thicket he discovers a Spanish priest making ready to bury Bartolome. The priest is one whom Manuela has met upon the road and to whom she confessed her crime. He tells Manvers what the girl told him and vainly endeavors to swerve Manvers in his determination to find her and prove his gratitude. As a last resort the priest misdirects Manvers, so that he returns to Valladolid, failing to find Manuela there. Meanwhile Manuela has found refuge with a friend in Madrid, a girl of the streets. In Valladolid, Manvers engages the services of Gil Perez as courier and valet. During the evening the sentimental Englishman visits the shop of Sebastian, the goldsmith, and commissions him to encase the crucifix in plates of gold, engraving on the outside "M." for Manuela, and the date. It happens that Don Luis overhears the affair. Later in the day Gurdias Civil reports to Don Luis the murder of Bartolome, naming Manuela and stating that the accomplice was "an Englishman." Don Luis connects the affair in the goldsmith's with the murder and decides that Manvers is the English accomplice and determines to challenge him to a duel. Manvers leaves Valladolid with Gil Perez before the challenge can be delivered, and Don Luis pursues him, accompanied by a friend and his servant, Tormillo. He overtakes Manvers in the post tavern at Madrid and the challenge is delivered. Manvers tears it up, refusing to fight a duel with a man old enough to be his grandfather. At this Tormilla asks and receives permission to assassinate Manvers, follows him from the hotel, shoots at him without effect, and, on his return to the hotel, stabs Manvers in the arm, a blow that would have been fatal but for the interference of Gil Perez. In the confusion that follows Manvers is denounced to the police as the murderer of Bartolome and is obliged to leave the hotel in their company. He contrives to escape with the assistance of Gil Perez. Pursued by the mob, he rushes through the streets of Madrid and falls at length exhausted in front of the house where Manuela lives. Gil Perez, with the girl's help, carries Manners into the house, dresses his wound, and while he is unconscious tells Manuela that the only way to save his life is by sacrificing herself to Don Luis. She consents. Gil Perez returns to Don Luis and tells him that Manuela is ready to give her life for the Englishman. Don Luis consents and the meeting is arranged in a public park at midnight. Gil Perez conducts Manuela to the park (Manvers being still unconscious), but first, to prepare against treachery on the part of Tormillo, he buys a flask of poisoned wine. Manuela meets Don Luis, gives him the knife with which Bartolome was killed and offers herself to it. Don Luis hesitates, and eventually throws the knife away, telling her that he cannot touch her; she has redeemed herself. He walks away, leaving Tormillo frantic with indignation that the murder of his young master should not be avenged. Gil Perez offers Tormillo the flask of poisoned wine. Tormillo consents to drink only if Gil Perez will drink first. Gil Perez, realizing this is the only way he can save Manuela and the Englishman, drinks and hands the flask to Tormillo, who also drinks. In the meantime, Manvers comes out of his unconsciousness and finds himself in a strange room and runs through Madrid until he too, finds himself in the park and catches sight of Manuela. As he runs to her, Tormillo springs from his seat, prepared to stab them both, but before he can reach them falls dead. As this happens Gil Perez dies without moving from his seat.—Moving Picture World synopsis
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