The year is 1878, and the setting is Paris, France. It's a place of privilege and comfort for the rich, but one of heartache and struggle for the poor. Upon the death of her father, a young girl is thrown from the comforts of middle-class life into the terror of homelessness on the streets of Paris. Without family or friends, she struggles to survive. Her journey takes her from charity houses to the grueling life of a laundress. When her plight becomes unbearable, she is enticed by the mistress of the most famous brothel in France to live in luxury and service her aristocratic clientele. She succumbs to a life of prostitution, and her virginity is sold to a handsome English Lord. His jaded character is tested when he meets his purchase and receives more than he bargained for in the price of her virginity.