Plot

In the reign of King Louis XIII, dashing rogue and libertine Marquis de Bardelys is entranced by Roxalanne de Lavedan. Against a background of knavery and intrigue he sets out to woo and win her.

In the court of French King Louis XIII, a courtier named Bardelys carries with him a grand reputation as an irresistible ladies' man. When another figure in the court, Chatellerault, fails to win the hand of the beautiful Roxalanne (whose family fortune the king wishes to bring under his control), Bardelys suggests that he could win the young woman's hand. Thus a bet is made, and Bardelys embarks on the pursuit of Roxalanne and her fortune. But intrigue and mistaken identity lead Bardelys into grave danger.—Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>

Bardelys is a wealthy courtier in the court of Louis XIII, with a string of affairs with beautiful women, and a silver tongue. In the middle of a duel with a wronged husband, he manages to reconcile the couple and get them out of his rooms before they discover a more recent conquest hidden behind a door. Meanwhile, Chatellerault, another courtier, has been rejected by the beautiful Roxalanne, whose family opposes the king. Chatellerault returns to find the court laughing at him, and he bullies Bardelys into a bet that he cannot win and marry Roxalanne. His honor at stake, Bardelys travels to Roxalanne's castle, but is wounded en route and is mistaken for a rebel leader. He keeps up the ruse, as Bardelys' womanizing reputation would interfere with his plans. But, falling in love with Roxalanne, he cannot bring himself to marry her under a false name, and plans to return to announce that he's lost the bet. His refusal to pledge his love upsets Roxalanne, who turns him over to the king's guards. The only judge at his trial who knows his true name is Chatellerault, who sentences him to death under the rebel's name. Roxalanne agrees to marry Chatellerault in exchange for Bardelys' life, but Chatellerault still fails to intervene. On the gallows, Bardelys effects an impressive escape, and the king arrives and vouches for his identity. Confronting Chatellerault in a duel, he renders the newly married Roxalanne a widow, and receives the king's blessing on their impending marriage. The surviving material is missing one reel (Bardelys' adventures while travelling to the castle), which has been reconstructed from still photos by Lobster Films.

On the Austrian estate of Baron von Burgen, butler Albert and maid Anna are given a wedding by their employers, who appreciate their years of loyal service. During the reception, Karl Schneider, the new chauffeur, arrives, disturbing the Countess De Marnac, a guest and his former employer, with whom he once had an affair. That night, as Albert and Anna are about to start their honeymoon, Albert is summoned by the baron to serve his guests when Françoise, another butler, gets too drunk to work. While Albert is serving, Anna is visited by Karl, who wins her sympathy by telling her about a sad childhood. One day, the baroness requests Karl to drive her to Vienna and they become lovers. When they return late, she says that they had an accident, and though Karl tells Albert the truth, Albert insists that Karl maintain respect for the "upstairs" people no matter what they do. They soon become friends and Karl impresses Anna, whom he says he regards "like a sister," but who slaps him when he tries to kiss her. Later, Karl insults the cook Sophie, with whom he had been intimate the night before, then tells her fabricated stories about being the illegitimate son of royalty to extort money from her. Sometime later, he offers Anna a jewel of the baroness' that he found and did not return, but she refuses, then chides him for his treatment of Sophie. He pins the jewel on her crucifix necklace anyway, and when the baroness recognizes the clip, she accuses Anna of stealing. Just then, Karl comes in, and says that he gave the clip to Anna and alludes to the baroness' indiscretions. The baroness apologizes to Anna, who thinks that Karl is wonderful for standing up for her. In retaliation, the baroness, knowing that Albert can hear her in the next room, tells the baron that Karl gave Anna jewelry and that they are involved in a scandal. She then tells Albert to make some changes on the staff while they are away on a fishing trip, and use his discretion. At the last moment, the baron insists on taking Albert with him and Albert warns Karl to stay away from Anna. Telling her that Albert asked him to take her out to dinner and have a good time, Karl then takes Anna to an inn and gets her drunk. Meanwhile, the fishing party turns back because the baron has slightly injured himself. At home, Karl tells Anna he loves her and plans to leave, but after he kisses her goodbye, they become lovers. The next morning, when Albert comes home, he fires Karl, even though he doesn't know for certain what has happened. Anna confesses to Albert when he coldly calls her "a servant," then leaves. Karl, meanwhile, goes to the baroness and blackmails her into reinstating him, which she does, in front of all the servants. When Albert goes to the baroness to resign, she tearfully admits her affair and begs him to stay, and also to forgive and understand Anna, who is too young not to be taken in by Karl. That night Sophie tearfully goes to Karl and gives him all her savings so that they can buy a coffee shop together in Vienna. The next morning, he packs to leave and asks Anna to go with him, but she begs him to leave her alone because she loves Albert. In a struggle in the wine cellar, they knock over a rack of bottles, creating a disturbance that brings Albert. He then fights with Karl, but is stopped by the baron, who thinks that it is over the spoiled wine. Albert apologizes to Karl and they have a drink together in the cellar, but when Albert orders Karl out, they begin to fight. Anna, seeing the violence of their fight, again summons the baron, in front of whom she makes Karl give Sophie's money back. The baron then congratulates Albert, and he and Anna make up. Some time later, Karl introduces himself to another rich woman as "madame's new chauffeur."

The film is set in the reign of King Louis XIII. When Comte Châtellerault (D'ARCY) fails to win the hand in marriage of Roxalanne de Lavedan (BOARDMAN), despite hinting at leniency for her rebellious family if she accepts, he responds to the notorious womanizer Marquis de Bardelys' (GILBERT) mockery by wagering his estate against that of Bardelys that Bardelys cannot succeed in marrying Roxalanne either within three months. While Bardelys does not desire marriage, he feels he has to accept the challenge. However the king (LUBIN), on hearing of the wager, forbids Bardelys from seeking a marriage alliance with a rebel family.

Bardelys ignores the king's orders as he feels that his honor is at stake. On the way to the Lavedan estate, he stumbles upon a fatally wounded man, Lesperon (von ELTZ), who asks him to say farewell to his beloved but dies before telling him her name. Bardelys takes his papers and, when challenged by a party of the king's soldiers, assumes Lesperon's identity to conceal his own, only to find that Lesperon is a wanted traitor. Bardelys escapes after fighting them off, and wounded, seeks refuge in the Lavedan residence. Roxalanne tends to him and hides him. Meanwhile, Roxalanne and her family discover with anger that she is the subject of a public wager by Bardelys, who prudently retains his assumed identity and grows closer to Roxalanne.

They declare their love for one another but she discovers that Lesperon was engaged and, furious at what she thinks are his false protestations of love, denounces Bardelys to soldiers. Bardelys, under the identity of Lesperon, is tried for treason. Châtellerault, who is the head judge, maliciously refuses to confirm his true identity and condemns him to death.

Roxalanne, still in love with Bardelys and guilty at causing his imminent death, marries Châtellerault on his promise to remit the sentence, but he breaks his word. Bardelys, on the gallows, delays his execution until the king arrives and saves him. Bardelys goes to Châtellerault and forfeits the wager and his estate so he can propose to Roxalanne with a clear conscience. The two men fight and Bardelys repeatedly wins, when soldiers enter to arrest Châtellerault upon which he kills himself rather than suffer the indignity of a trial. The king enters to laud Bardelys' skill with women to Roxalanne's annoyance but she is mollified when the king says that this is the first time Bardelys has sought to marry.