Mademoiselle de Chartres has already had her first heart-breaking experience: she has been abandoned by a youth who wanted to have a somewht open relationship with her. One night, a friend of her mother's, Mrs Silva, introduces her to a widely-reputed doctor, Jacques de Cleves. He fell in love with the young girl when he saw her choosing a necklace in the company of her mother, in a famous jewellery store in the Place Vendome. The young girl agrees to marry him, although she feels no passion. This passion will be aimed at a young and fashionable singer, Pedro Abrunhosa. Realising that this love is emerging, Mme Chartres, shortly before she dies, warns her daughter to be prudent.