|
 In turn-of-the-century Paris, Georges
Randal, a well-born orphan, is cheated out of his inheritance by an
unscrupulous uncle and then forced to stand by helplessly while his
cousin Charlotte, with whom he is in love, is forced by her uncle to
become engaged to another man. He reduces Charlotte's fiancée
to the status of a pauper by stealing the fiancée's family jewels,
thereby causing his uncle to break the engagement.
Inspired by his first taste of crime,
Georges goes to Brussels and meets the Abbot Lamargelle, an
underworld priest who becomes his mentor. Before long, Georges
has risen to the top of his profession. By utilizing his
appeal to women to gain entrance into the homes of the privileged,
he quickly amasses a considerable fortune.
When the rise of anarchy in France stirs
police retaliation, he flees to England. There he is reunited
with Charlotte, who has been disinherited by her debauched uncle.
Upon learning that the old man is dying, Georges exacts the perfect
revenge by destroying the uncle's will and forging a new one in
Charlotte's favor. With Charlotte's fortune added to his own,
Georges no longer has any need to go on stealing. But it is
too late to stop; thievery has become a way of life for him. |
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