Emma Vallona, an oriental dancer, is suffocated by the debts of her wasteful life; in order to appease her creditors, she does not hesitate to have a promissory note endorsed by the minister d'Angy, who is thus swept up in the scandal and sees his political career destroyed. In the meantime, Emma has moved to Spain under the false name of Madame d'Ambois: she continues to frequent the high society, where her attractiveness puts her at the center of the attention.