Lucius Waldeck is a social vulture. In a New York hotel lobby, he is attracted by the porter carrying in a sickly child. While thus engrossed, he sees a magnificent emerald pinned in the dress of the child's grandmother. Determining to possess the jewel, he follows Mrs. Weston, who has gone to St. Ann de Beaupre, near Quebec, Canada, in order to appeal for the recovery of her granddaughter, at the time of the visit of the pilgrims. Waldeck trails Mrs. Weston and that night, he crawls up over the roof of the stable and gains admittance to Mrs. Weston's rooms. He chloroforms her and repeats the same operation with the child and the maid. Then he secures the emerald. Months later, Victoria and Sonia are in New York. The former has been an only comrade of Morton Conway, a rich young man, who, although he knows and appreciates the friendship existing between her and Sonia, is in love with Phillipa Ford, a mercenary young lady.