Poor Arlette is married off by her well meaning mother to a supposed count who turns out to be a fake and a crook.Arlette seeks out the real count, to whom in name technically she is married.

Arlette was born in 1918. Her mother made her lover and godchild named Pierre believe that he was the father of this child. Having become a beautiful young woman, Arlette falls under Pierre's spell and he offers to marry her to get her out of poverty.