- The Baron intends to marry his son Perdican to his niece Camille, who has just left the convent. The two young people meet again after ten years of separation in the manor where they have grown, played and loved each other. The trouble is that Camille, indoctrinated by the nurses, distrusts all men, including Perdican, and wishes to devote herself to God. She therefore rejects her cousin's advances. Perdican is desperate but after a while he thinks he has found a way out: he will seduce Rosette, a young farm girl and Camille's foster sister, and arouse the jealousy of his cousin. But is flirting with love such a good idea?—Guy Bellinger
- The Baron, a wealthy nobleman living in his vast cattle, surrounded by all the luxuries of the period, has an only son, Perdican. This son is his sole heir and the apple of his eye. He is anxious that Perdican should marry his niece, Camille. The latter is a tall, beautiful girl who moves with stately grace. In the richly furnished rooms of the castle. She has just finished her studies at the convent, and Perdican is well pleased at the suggestion of his uncle. He, too, has just left his studies, and everyone thinks that the match will be a happy one. The days that now pass seem to be of unending sweetness, but finally Camille decides to renounce her affection for Perdican and take the veil. Perdican is in despair; nothing can seem to shake her resolution. Tears and pleading have no effect. Even the Abbé suggests that she reconsider her decision, but all to no avail. She thinks her purpose is steadfast, and that her life should he devoted to the service of the church. Piqued by her decision, Perdican decides upon a scheme; he will make love to little Rosette, Camille's foster-sister, and thus make his real love jealous and in this way, perhaps, cause her to change her mind about entering the convent. He therefore writes Rosette a note calling her his "Sweet Rosette" and begging her to meet him by the lake. He also sends a letter to Camille at the same time, making a rendezvous with her at the same place and hour, in order to make sure that she will witness his lovemaking to Rosette. But Camille was too cute for him. To be sure, woman-like, she did not relish seeing him paying court to her little sister, although she knew it was only a ruse on his part to arouse her jealousy. She therefore decides to open Rosette's eyes to the man's duplicity and therefore hides the girl behind a screen on the occasion of Perdican's next visit to herself. Poor little Rosette suffers agony as she bears from her place of concealment the false man whispering terms of endearment to her sister Camille, for this is Rosette's first affair of the heart and is taken "au grand serieux" by the girl. Finally, unable to hear the agony and humiliation of her position another moment, with a moan of despair she rushes from the house out to the beautiful bordered walks and the magnificent shady trees where she had spent so many happy hours as a child, scarcely recognizing, in her present miserable and heartbroken self, the happy, care-free girl of a week ago. The many happy hours spent beneath these same fine old trees, when her heart was bounding for very joy at being alive, seem to the girl now but a happy dream. Wringing her little hands as she turns from side to side like a frightened child endeavoring to get away from some terrible bogey that pursues her. She darts first this way then that until in the distance the gleam of the smooth waters of the lake seem to call her and promise peace and rest from this terrible tumult raging in her breast. She hurries on, therefore, and, as she reaches the cool waters, she stops and lazes at her reflection, thinking that she is much too young and fair to be so very, very unhappy. But what else can she be when the one that she loves best in the world and whose ring she has worn so proudly for the past week, and the very sight of which even now makes her poor foolish little heart beat, has so cruelly deceived her and changed for her the entire world from a place of happiness and love into a cold prison destitute of any promise of hope, and from which she must escape, no matter by what means? As her trouble looms up before her black and overpowering, the usually timid girl, seized by an insane impulse, plunges into the waters which soon envelop her and seem to shield her from her trouble, and she lies there as peaceful as a child. In the meantime someone on the estate has noticed the girl's wild actions and hurried to the house to acquaint the family of the fact. Camille and Perdican, interrupted in their love-making, hasten out of the house, accompanied by Camille's aged father, and the three rush wildly around the flower-bordered paths and through the fine old shade trees, hoping to get a glimpse of the girl. Camille knowing more about the true situation of affairs than do the others, is the first to think of the lake, and dashes ahead. But. alas! too late, for scarcely have her wild eyes scanned the surface when she perceives the dainty little figure of her dear Rosette floating like a tender flower on the water, looking as peaceful as if she only slept. Camille becomes like a mad woman for a moment, but still has hope that her sister might be resuscitated if they could manage to get her to shore. Calling loudly to Perdican, the latter takes off his coat and soon reaches the little cold body, which he reverently and gently bears in Ills arms to the agonized sister and father on the beach. Little Rosette's sufferings are at an end, however, though they can hardly believe it, so lifelike does she look as they vainly endeavor in every way to set the little heart to beating and the soft eyes to open once more.—Moving Picture World synopsis
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