Nicole Védrèss' chronicle of Paris from 1900 to 1914 is brought to life through the use of original material, all authentic, secured from more then 700 films belonging to public and private collections. A few of the celebrities of the time shown are Enrico Caruso, Sarah Bernhardt, and Maurice Chevalier.
Maxime, heir to an old provincial family, is deeply in love with Maud whom he makes his fiancée. But learning that the young girl's life has not always been beyond reproach, he refuses to marry her and returns to his castle in the company of his sister who, happier than him, has met a man worthy of being in Paris. love.