The Actress' Redemption

Summary

In a dusk-lit atelier of deceit, a callow student named Charles drapes his ardor over the velvet shoulders of Evelyn, a provincial actress whose laughter rings like counterfeit coins. While parental prayers drift across crumbling ancestral eaves, the lovers conjugate verbs of desire; yet a necklace—scales of fire opal—ignites avarice. One forged signature later, the family’s patrimony is auctioned beneath a pewter sky, and the house exhales the ghost of every lullaby. Evelyn, waking to the metallic taste of guilt, dons the mask of a penitent: she infiltrates the usurer’s heart, pilfers the deed to the lost manor, and bleeds on its threshold so that contraband absolution may be signed in arterial ink.

Synopsis

While Charles is making love to the actress, Evelyn, his old parents at home are fondly believing their only son is devoting himself diligently to his studies. Evelyn, enraptured by her friend's necklace, begs Charles to buy her one. That night he writes a letter to his parents asking for more money to devote to his studies. Charles' mother has saved up a little money of her own, and once more helps her son. With the money his mother sends him, Charles procures the much-coveted necklace, but owes the dealer a balance of some thousand francs. The balance of the money not forthcoming quickly, the jeweler threatens drastic measures. Evelyn has heard all, and decides to terminate her friendship with Charles. Desperate, he appeals to his father, but in vain. Gorsip, a notorious usurer, sees in Charles a new victim, and tells him it will be necessary for him to sign a draft in his father's name. Charles, frantic at the thought of losing Evelyn, yields to the usurer's subtle suggestion. At a mask ball Charles sees Evelyn again. Amidst the gaieties and smiles of Evelyn, Charles forgets the crime he has committed. Gorsip comes to collect the money on the forged draft. In the meantime Charles receives a letter from his heartbroken father, telling him about the forged draft, and that he had to sell the home of his ancestors in order to save the honor of the family. Charles then writes a letter to Evelyn, telling her that his love for her has caused him to commit this crime. His father is ruined, and he is going away to try to redeem his foolish mistakes. Charles' parents have left the home where they have spent many happy years. Evelyn becomes sanguine, and she determines to right the great wrong she has committed against Charles' parents. She plans to rent the house which once belonged to them, and which now belongs to Gorsip. The inhabitants of the village do not take kindly to the newcomer. Charles' father, homesick, takes advantage of the darkness to go to see the beloved home once more. The old man recognizes Evelyn as the one who has caused his son's downfall and curses her. By this time Evelyn notices that Gorsip has fallen in love with her and wishes to marry her. He will give her as a dowry a deed to the house in which she is now living. He signs his name to the document, but immediately becomes suspicious of the motives of Evelyn and tries to recover the paper, but Evelyn succeeds in hiding the precious document in one of the books in the library. Gorsip meditates his vengeance. He bribes the gardener to allow him to enter the house and search for the deed. Evelyn demands to know what he is doing in her house. During this period Charles has returned to his home, having succeeded in business, and begs his father to pardon him, telling him he has suffered greatly. Evelyn has made up her mind to take the deed to Charles' parents, and Gorsip, maddened by the thought that he is about to lose his precious document, uses his revolver. He wounds Evelyn, but she succeeds in running away and reaching the house in which Charles' parents now live. The would-be murderer is conducted to prison and Charles' parents are touched by Evelyn's act of bravery and redemption and forgive her.