The story of Silvio Pellico who was arrested on the charge of carbonarism and conveyed to the Santa Margherita prison, then moved to the Piombi at Venice The sentence of death pronounced on him in February 1822 was finally commuted to fifteen years of jail in harsh condition, and he was placed in the Spielberg, at Brünn (today's Brno).
Richard Duvall is a young American detective in the employ of the French Secret Police. While in Paris he meets Grace Ellicot, also an American, with whom he falls in love.
Bill Pike, recently married, hits his home town about seven in the evening, and immediately is seized by a bunch of his old cronies who drag him into a hotel to have a game of poker.