- Cerise Vignol is leading woman in the little Hyacinth theater, which lies on the left of the Seine. In love with Cerise is Pierre, leading man of the troupe. Whenever M. Marcel, the manager of the theater, has trouble with Cerise, he sends for Pierre, who quickly subdues the little leading woman, who is very temperamental. A friend of Pierre's is Fernand Delorme, a young advocate, who is also critic on Le Figaro. Pierre presents Delorme to Cerise, who, at the time, is raging at Marcel, for the latter, at a moment's notice, has withdrawn a comedy and substituted the well-known "Camille." Later, Pierre declares his love for Cerise and proposes marriage. She accepts Pierre, and immediately preparations are made for their marriage, which is slated for Christmas day. Christmas Eve, while Cerise is admiring herself in her wedding gown, she is called to the window by Delorme, who tells her that he has wagered with a friend that he, the advocate, will before midnight, find a woman who has never tasted champagne, and asks her to accompany him to a café, around the corner, and assist him to win the bet. Seeing no harm in the request, Cerise accompanies Delorme. She finds the wager a myth, but Delorme refuses to permit her to go home. They quarrel and Cerise hurls a glass of wine into the face of Delorme. Delorme follows her to the street, where Cerise claws his face, at the same time threatening to repeat the performance should she ever meet him again. In her terror, Cerise loses her way. She finds succor in a convent. Three days later Cerise is well enough to return to her lodgings. Instead of welcome, she is grieved to find her small room devoid of its furnishings. Hurrying to Pierre's room, she finds her picture besmeared with ink, and written across its face: "She is much blacker within." On the way downstairs Cerise meets Pierre, M. and Mme, Marcel, and members of the company, all of whom refuse to recognize her. Cerise leaves Paris and goes to Neuilly. Eight years elapse. Cerise, now known as Cerise Lestooq, has become the "little mother" of the village. Suddenly an overzealous commissary of police charges her with having changed her name without leave and teaching a school without a license. Failing to diagnose chicken pox from smallpox, Cerise is arrested and brought to trial. It so happens that the judge is none other than Fernand Delorme. He is about to discharge Cerise, when, recognizing him, she leaps from the witness chair, and making good her threat, proceeds to claw his face. Delorme sentences her to thirty days in the local jail. In jail Cerise refuses to wear the prison garments. She goes to bed absolutely refusing to get up. As the days pass, Cerise, overcome with her disgrace, loses heart, and her physical condition becomes most alarming. In the interval, Cerise's case has aroused all of France. Pierre learns of her whereabouts, succeeds in obtaining for her a pardon and then sets out for Neuilly where he finds Cerise near death's door. Pierre delivers the pardon, declares his mistake, begs forgiveness, and the picture fades with the reunited lovers clasped in each other's arms.—Moving Picture World synopsis
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