Gambling with Death

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The first scenes are laid in the palace and beautiful grounds of Count Flambeau, a scion of the French nobility. The Count's beautiful and only daughter, Marie, whom he regards as the apple of his eye, is wooed and won by the young and dashing Viscount Darcy, while Roskoff, the confidential secretary to the Count, who secretly loves his master's daughter, shows his displeasure and hatred of his successful rival. The depth of his passion is shown by his kissing of the veil which the young lady has left behind, and when she returns and discovers him in the act he declares his love for her. She turns from him with contempt, and as her father enters the room she informs him of the presumption of his servant. The Count denounces the schemer, who rushes from the room vowing vengeance. Roskoff is next seen joining a party of revolutionists. He is blindfolded and led to their secret meeting place, where he takes the oath of allegiance. Exciting speeches are made against the Royalists, with cries of "Down with the Nobility!" and Roskoff slashes a portrait of the king and is chosen a leader of the revolutionists. Meanwhile the Count seals the betrothal of Marie and Viscount Darcy and gives them his blessing. While they are in the midst of their happiness a messenger enters with a letter to the Count which causes consternation. Roskoff spies and learns of the movements of the Royalist party and leads an attack in which the Royalists are routed, the Count slain and Viscount Darcy escapes and flees to the palace, where he tells of the disaster and the death of the Count. While he is speaking they hear a tumult and see a mob of revolutionists approaching, with Roskoff at the head, determined upon the death of his rival. There being no opportunity to escape. Father Lorraine hastily suggests a ruse and, seizing a knife, he slashes Darcy's wrist and smears the blood on his face and breast. He commands Darcy to lie still and feign death while he lights candles and places them around him, and, when the villains enter, the priest and Marie are bending in prayer over the supposed dead body. Roskoff approaches and attempts to speak to Marie, but the priest waves him aside and he exits with a gleam of satisfaction on his face. Just as Father Lorraine and Marie begin to think that their ruse has been successful, Roskoff enters again with men bearing a coffin and gives orders to remove the body. The priest and Marie are stunned, but their protests do not avail, and Darcy's body is lifted into the coffin, which is nailed up and borne away by the villains for burial. Roskoff leaves guards at the door, but the priest enables Marie to escape by a window and she arrives at the cemetery in time to prevent the grave diggers from covering up the body of her lover. She bribes the grave digger to open the coffin only to find that Darcy is really dead, and she falls fainting across his body. Father Lorraine also arrives on the scene and he is vainly trying to revive the broken-hearted Marie when Roskoff rushes up, having discovered her escape from the palace. Roskoff is about to approach Marie when Father Lorraine arises in his wrath, and pointing to the two dead bodies, seizes Roskoff's hat and dashes it to the ground, while he calls down curses on his head. The villain slinks away as the priest begins to offer up a prayer for the dead.