The Marquis de Pontignac is a charming bon vivant in the court of the Empress Eugenie, Napoleon II's wife. His regularly scheduled hunting trips are a much looked forward to event among Paris' nobility. But this time, the Marquis finds something very unusual in the forest: a silk garter lost by Juliette, the empress' lady's maid, who secretly borrowed it from her mistress. When Pontignac tries to pick up the garter, his horse bolts and drags the Marquis behind it. By pure chance, the unconscious and wounded rider is found in the woods and brought into a local barracks, with no one aware of his true identity. The staff physician doesn't give the Marquis much of a chance to survive the night and asks him his last wish. Pontignac asks to see his long lost love, Marianne, again, who is fltting around somewhere in Paris. However, while searching for her garter, Juliette comes into the barracks and is immediately confused for Marianne. And that's when the fun begins ...