When both her parents die, heiress Alice Rowland is placed under the guardianship of George Baring, an unscrupulous man who seeks to gain control of his ward's fortune. To further his ends, Baring tries to force a marriage between his son James and Alice. Henry Whitworth, an old friend of Alice's mother, thinks that it is his duty to protect Alice from her guardian and prevents the marriage. Baring, fearing that Whitworth's influence will rob him of the fortune, imprisons Alice in her room but she escapes and flees to Whitworth in the middle of the night. Just as Baring is petitioning the courts for her forced return, Alice makes the amazing discovery that she can dissolve the guardianship by marriage. Alice then marries Whitworth, thus defeating Baring's wicked schemes.