Overwhelmed by the death of his wife, a rich Parisian banker called René Duchêne is walking towards the River Seine to throw himself in when he is accosted by a prostitute. They recognise each other, because she used to be the chambermaid. When she learns that her former mistress is dead, she reveals that the wife he adored had made him a laughing stock by her multiple adulteries. He decides to let the world think he has committed suicide and to go into hiding.