A lieutenant conceives a secret passion for the young wife of a general, who gradually becomes suspicious of their secret meetings, and forbids the lieutenant his house. A Duchess, unwisely lends her help to make their intrigue easier, and becomes the medium for the exchange of notes between the two. One of these is dropped, and the duke comes to the conclusion that it is his wife whom the lieutenant is bestowing his admiration upon. With the help of his secretary the duke hatches a plot against his supposed rival, who finds himself accused of conspiring against the Czar. The duke tells his wife of the lieutenant's condemnation. She is upset on account of the shock she knows the news will be to her young friend, and the duke puts the worst construction on her agitation. The lieutenant is about to be shot when the duke finds out that it is the wife of the general whom the lieutenant is in love with, and gives the order that prevents the execution.
