Tired of poverty, Jane finally accepts the advances of Ambrose, the wealthy owner of the factory in which she works, and becomes his mistress. Years later, long after she has left Ambrose, Jane falls in love with Richard Newton, whose own past, like hers, hardly stands out as scrupulous. They get married and have a child, but then Richard finds out that Jane had been a kept woman, and insists on a separation. He soon begins to think about his own past indiscretions, however, and realizes the hypocrisy of judging Jane by a higher standard than the one by which he has lived. As a result, he asks her forgiveness, and she eagerly takes him back.