As childhood sweethearts, David Horton and Beatrice Elton are inseparable. Fifteen years later Beatrice goes abroad and while there is heartbroken to learn that David has married Margaret Forsythe, a social climber, Margaret starts to entertain on a lavish scale.

Promising to send for his sweetheart Roza, when he gets settled, Hugo Hunfalvy leaves Hungary for America. In New York he meets Louis Kaplan, an old friend, who owns a fruit store. Louis' sister, Marie, is pretty and flirtatious, and is much impressed by Hugo. He soon falls under the influence of her wiles and buys part interest in Louis' store.

While traveling in Italy, John Steele, a young American millionaire, is kidnapped by Antonio Perino, and fellow members of the Camorra. They demand an immense ransom, but he defies them. Marta, Antonio's wife, feels sorry for Steele. She is left to guard the prisoner alone and Steele induces her to help him escape.

Although deeply in love with his wife, Smith is intensely jealous of her and when she receives a note from her cousin, Tom, to the effect that they have decided to give the melodrama, "The Wicked Earle," as a surprise to Mr. Smith on his birthday.

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A modern artist named Raphael dreams that he is the ancient Greek sculptor Phidias, who has been commissioned by the wealthy Georgias to carve a number of statues. When Phidias refuses to give up his work, Diogenes appears and suggests that the sculptor ask the statues themselves whom they would prefer as their owner. After coming to life, the statues abandon the sculptor for the rich man. Awakening, Raphael continues his pursuit of the beautiful Marco, a society woman who has posed for him. Marco ultimately spurns his love in favor of a wealthy viscount, however, leaving Raphael to seek happiness with the humble but loving Marie.

Lelia Crofton, a Louisiana belle of the 1860s, loves Burleigh Mavor. By chance, she sees one of her father's black stablemen making love to a neighbor's maid, whom she supposed was white. The incident shocks Lelia and leaves a great impression upon her. When she rejects suitor Steve Daubeney, he threatens to expose a damaging secret about her mother, whom she has never met. Remembering the incident with the neighbor's maid, Lelia worries that her mother might be black, and when Daubeney learns of her fears, he leads her to believe that they are well-founded.

In a jewelry store, Grace Norris, a wealthy girl, unnoticed by the salesman, absent-mindedly takes a vanity case. She is seen by Fred Wright, who thinks she stole it.

The day before Christmas in a squalid tenement room shared by young sisters Nell and Bess, their brother Tom, and their 18-year-old sister Anne the younger children gather all their pennies and give them to Anne so she can buy Christmas presents for them. Anne looks at their meager savings with a sad smile, letting the coins trickle through her fingers onto the table, knowing the few pennies will not be enough to buy presents.

George Darrel presents Helen Gray, his fiancée, with a very valuable engagement ring of antique design, which is an heirloom. They have a serious quarrel over Dave Brower, one of her friends, and Darrel leaves for the west.