Paris under the reign of King LouisPhilippe Jean a ragandbone man witnesses a murder The victim begs him to adopt little girl Marie Didier 20 years later in 1846 she has grown into a beautiful young lady and works as a seamstress One night she is taken to a party where she is insulted by the nasty Baron Hoffmann because she was wearing the dress she had made for his daughter Dashing Henri de Berville takes her defense