Spots 
The death of Louis XIV and the establishment of Philippe d'Orléans as Regent leaves many young officers stripped of rank and royal favor. Raoul d'Harmental finds his military career abruptly halted by peacetime retrenchment, leaving him bitter against the Regent's administration. This grievance makes him an ideal target for factions seeking to dismantle the Regency.
The Duchesse du Maine and the Spanish ambassador, Prince de Cellamare, construct a treasonous network to overthrow Philippe d'Orléans and transfer power to Philip V of Spain. Seeking a brave figurehead to carry out their dangerous enterprise, they recruit d'Harmental into their inner circle. Raoul accepts the mission out of misplaced honor and political disillusionment.
To conceal his identity during the conspiracy, Raoul takes lodging in a humble house on the Rue du Temps-Perdu. There he meets Bathilde, a gentle orphan raised by the meticulous library copyist Jean Buvat. As Raoul prepares for a high-stakes political coup, his growing devotion to Bathilde creates a quiet counterweight to his destructive ambition.
The plotters employ Jean Buvat to transcribe secret correspondence, unaware that the innocent clerk meticulously reads every treasonous page. Alarmed by the threat to France, Buvat informs the Regent's minister, Abbé Dubois, leading to the rapid arrest of the conspirators. Raoul's honorable refusal to betray his comrades ultimately touches the Regent, who grants him mercy and freedom.
A young French officer gets drawn into a treasonous plot against the Regent before finding redemption through love.