Mid 30s XVIII century, Parisian slums, where bandits and murderers do their dirty deeds, and honest poor people wage a fierce struggle for existence.
The prince of Gerolstein, Rodolf, thirty-seven-year-old handsome man with “big yellowish-brown eyes”, who perfectly knows the techniques of fist fighting, incognito arrives in Paris with the goal of “rewarding the good, prosecuting evil, comforting the suffering of mankind, trying to save at least a few souls from death” and thieves argo.
In his youth, the heir to the Grand Dukes of Gerolstein made a rash act - having learned that his beloved Sara was expecting a child, he secretly married her. The old duke did not recognize this union, and Rodolf dared to draw his sword against his father. Rodolph’s teacher, the cunning Polydori, with whom the marriage was concluded, told the angry father that the priest who had performed the rite was not a priest, and therefore the marriage was invalid. He also showed the young prince Sarah's correspondence with her brother, from which he realized that Sarah did not love him, but only sought to achieve a high position. Since then, the prince is full of remorse and tries to atone for his guilt. Moreover, his life was overshadowed by indestructible sorrow - Sarah did not want to give him her daughter, and soon reported that the girl had died ...
Wanting to help the unfortunate Mrs. Georges find her son, abducted from her by her criminal husband, the prince, dressed as a master, descends to the bottom of Paris.Here he meets an honest fellow nicknamed the Coquer, who served time for the murder of a sergeant. No matter how difficult it may be for the Leopar, he never stole. But, working in a slaughterhouse, he was accustomed to the sight of blood, and when the sergeant rudely treated him in the army, he grabbed a knife in a fit of rage and hit him. The ghost of the murdered still torments the honest fellow. Admired by Rodolfo’s fighting talents, moved by his praise (“You have preserved courage and honor ...”), the Coaxer voluntarily becomes Rodolfo’s faithful dog, ready to follow the owner anywhere.
On the same evening, Rodolf met a charming girl Lilia Maria, nicknamed Pevunya. Unaware of her parents, she grew up in the care of a scammer nicknamed Sychiha, who tormented her, forced her to beg and steal. Lilia Maria goes to prison and gets out when she is sixteen years old. Unable to find work, she accepts the invitation of the Ogre swarm and sets foot on the path of vice.
Seeing how the girl is suffering from her position, Rodolph buys her from the Cannibal and takes her to the village, to the farm in Buqueval, where Madame Georges entrusts her with her cares.
Sarah wants to find her daughter, or if she is dead, give her any other age-appropriate girl in order to soften Rodolph’s heart and make him marry her. Searches lead her to Sychikha and her friend - a murderer and a robber, nicknamed Literacy. With the help of the Knifter, Rodolf violates Sarah's plan and implements his own - he offers the bandits to rob a rich and unprotected house. Of course, we are talking about one of the Parisian houses of Rodolf, where the villains will be waited in ambush by the people of the prince. Not trusting Rodolfo, Sychikha and Gramotei lured him into a stash of "Bleeding Heart" and dumped him in a cellar with water, and they themselves set off before the agreed deadline to rob the indicated house. The dedication and ingenuity of the Knifter saves not only Rodolf, but also his assistant and friend, Sir Walter Murph, who was attacked by the Literacy.
Rodolf himself administers justice. He knows that Literacy is the former husband of Mrs. Georges. This vicious man decided to take revenge on his virtuous wife: he abducted their son in order to raise a thief from him. However, Francois Germain - that is the name of the young man - managed to escape, and now, as Gramotey was able to find out, he lives on Temple Street. By order of Rodolph, his black doctor David blinds Gramotheus. Then the prince hands the unfortunate wallet and lets go on all four sides.
The prince wishes to reward the Knifter and gives him a butcher's shop. There, on the confused small, terrible memories of the murdered sergeant are found, and he refuses the gift. Then Rodolph offers him a farm in Algeria, he agrees to accept it and leaves.
Under the guise of a salesman, Rodolph comes to the house on Temple Street, captivates the fussy and good-natured gatekeeper, Mrs. Pipple, her husband, a shoemaker, as well as a pretty and hardworking seamstress named Laughing,
Mrs. Peeple tells the imaginary salesman about the residents of the house. Under the roof in terrifying poverty lives the gemstone cutter Morel and his family of prosperous, consisting of his wife, her crazy mother, five young children and her adult daughter Louise. Louise lives in the handmaids of the notary Jacques Ferrand, who is known as a holy man, but in fact a vile lecher. Morel around in debt, they want to put him in a debt prison. Louise becomes a victim of notary harassment, she gives birth to a dead baby. Wanting to get rid of the girl, Ferrand accuses her of killing a child, and Louise is sent to prison. Having paid Morel's creditors, Rodolf promises to tackle the fate of Louise.
Francois Germain, also an employee of Ferrand, is trying to help the unfortunate girl. In the evening, he takes from the notary's cashier a few coins for Louise, so that the next day he will return them from his own savings. His money was not needed, but when he returns it in the morning, the notary accuses him of stealing a huge amount, and Germain is sent to prison.
Rodolph learns about the fate of Germain from Laughter, whom he writes a letter explaining what happened to him and asks the girl not to think badly about him. An honest grisette, who always had friendly feelings for a young man, was shocked by what had happened. Seeing her sincere grief, Rodolf promises her to take up the Germain affair.
By order of Sarah, who was jealous of Lily-Maria to Rodolfo, the blind Gramotiy and Sychiha abduct Pevunya, and she again goes to prison. Sarah goes to the notary Ferrand: he was once entrusted with a rent intended for Lilia Maria. Sarah accuses the notary of the deliberate murder of the girl and the appropriation of money. Frightened Ferrand admits that the girl did not die, but was given up for the education of Sychikha. Sarah meets Sychikha, leads her to her and shows a portrait of little Lilia Maria, in which she recognizes Pevunya. Recording the story of the old vixen, Sarah turns her back to her, she stabs her with a stylet, takes the jewelry and leaves.
But the days of Sychiha are numbered. She goes to the “Bleeding Heart” stash, where in the basement on a chain sits a blind Diplomat. Sychiha wants to hide the jewelry there and, as always, mock the blind man with impunity. Enraged, Literacy, having contrived, grabs the vile old woman and literally tears her to shreds.
Meanwhile, the notary, having achieved the liberation of Pevunya, sends his faithful servant, Madame Seraphin, for the girl. This little respectable lady, who once gave Lily Maria Sychikha, must assure the girl that she is taking her back to Bukeval, and in fact entice her to the river and drown her with the help of the Martian river pirate family. The old woman does not know that the owner ordered her to be drowned along with the girl.
The notary’s plan was successful, but only half: the fallen wolf woman, whom Pevunya, sitting with her in prison, managed to persuade to an honest life, pulls her out of the water. Lilia Maria goes to the hospital for the poor.
Rodolf decides to put an end to Ferran's abominations, making him a victim of his own passions. To this end, with the help of Mrs. Peeple, he introduces the creole of Cecily, the depraved wife of Dr. David, who is arranged to escape from Gerolstein prison, where Rodolf imprisoned her, to his house under the guise of a maid. Having inflamed the lust of a notary, the girl lures his wallet with documents from him and runs away. Ferran's fever begins from unfulfilled passion, and he dies in terrible agony.
By fate, Clemence, the young wife of one of the Prince’s friends, the Marquis d’Arville, dedicates Rodolf to the woeful secrets of his family life. It turns out that d’Arville suffers from hereditary epilepsy. Clemence found out about her husband’s illness only after the wedding, and her life turned into sheer hell. Rodolf bitterly reflects on the imperfection of human laws that cannot save the victim of deceit from "unnatural matrimony." Desiring to help a young woman, to whom he has sincere sympathy, he invites her to do charity work and become his accomplice "in some mysterious intrigues of this kind."
Jealous of his wife, d’Arville overhears their conversation. He is convinced that Clemence’s thoughts are pure, but she will never fall in love with him, for he cannot forgive that before the wedding he honestly did not admit to her his illness. Wanting to earn his wife's forgiveness, he decides to identify the terrible Pevunya with a terrible. She goes to the “Bleeding Heart” stash, where in the basement on a chain sits a blind Diplomat. Enraged, Literacy, having contrived, grabs the vile old woman and literally tears her to shreds.
Meanwhile, a notary public, having achieved the liberation of Pevunya, sends her loyal servant, Madame Serafen, for this girl, this un respectable lady, who once gave Lily Maria Sychikha, must assure the girl that she is taking her back to Bukeval, and in fact lure her to the river and with with the help of the Martian river pirate family to drown. Wanting to earn his wife’s forgiveness, he decides to take a terrible step - suicide and, having called his friends as witnesses, sets him up as an accident.
Shaken by the act of her husband, Clemence devotes himself to charity with even greater ardor. She goes to the women's prison, where she takes custody of Louise Morel, visits the infirmary, where she meets Pevunya, and from her story she understands that this is the same girl who disappeared from Bukewalski farm and who Rodolf unsuccessfully searches for.
Francois Germain sits in a common cell among bandits and murderers. The villains, feeling the instinctive disgust of the young man for them, decide to kill him, especially since many have nothing to lose - they are sentenced to death. Germaine is constantly visited by the Laughter; young people feel they love each other. Now Germain is ready to kiss the whole world. But a conspiracy against him has already been drawn up, and only the intervention of the Lead-cutter saves the young man from reprisal.
The gunsmith, upon reaching Marseilles, realizes that he cannot leave Rodolph. He returns to Paris, where the prince gives him the task - to go to prison and protect Germain there.
The dying Sarah calls Rodolf and tells him that their daughter is alive: this is Lilia Maria. Rodolf, who considers the girl dead, curses Sarah for leaving the girl in an abyss of poverty and vice. He realizes that the notary of Ferrand was the culprit in the fall of his daughter.
The inconsolable Rodolph is going to leave Paris, a stay in this city becomes unbearable for him. He even refuses to go to the wedding of Laughter and the son of Mrs. Georges, which should be held in Buquavale, although it was thanks to him that Francois Germain was acquitted and released from prison. The prince also generously benefited the newlyweds.
Rodolph doesn't want to see even Clemence d’Arville. She must understand that the death of her daughter is fatal retribution, and he must atone for his solitude!
Suddenly, Madame d’Arville enters Rodolph’s office. She brought the recovered Pevunya to the prince. Upon learning that the girl is the prince’s daughter, Clemence falls to her knees and thanks God for the fact that it is her happiness to bring him the good news: his daughter is alive!
Clemence leads Lily-Maria, and Rodolf tells her that her father was found. However, the girl is not happy - she does not know this person, does not know how he will relate to her past. And Mr. Rodolf did everything for her, did not abhor her when he found out how low she had fallen, and therefore she only loves Mr. Rodolf. Unable to stand, Rodolf with tears tells her that he is her father. From unexpected happiness, Lily-Maria faints.
Rodolf informs Sarah that their daughter is alive. For her sake, he is ready to combine with Sarah a legal marriage. A priest called to the house performs a rite, witnesses sign a contract declaring the birth of Lily-Mary legal. Repentant, Sarah dies without ever seeing her daughter.
On the day of the carnival, Rodolph and her daughter leave Paris. The carriage is stopped by a mob of raging mob, a dump begins at the door. One of the bandits swings at the prince with a knife. But the blow falls on the chest of the Leopar. Overwhelmed by anxious forebodings, the brave fellow again could not leave his beloved master and rescued him again - now for the last time. Rodolf and his daughter will leave Paris forever.
In honor of his mother, Rodolf calls her daughter Amelia. He and his wife, the former Marquise d’Arville, are doing everything so that the girl can forget about her past. Princess Amelia is constantly engaged in charity work, establishes a shelter for poor girls, everyone loves and honors her. Prince Henry in love with her, awakening a response feeling in her heart, asks for her hand. However, the girl cannot forget the past, cannot forgive herself for her fall. She refuses the prince and leaves for the monastery. There she is unanimously elected abbess. Considering herself unworthy of such an honor, Amelia falls ill and quietly fades away. Rodolph and Clemence weep at her grave.
