Summary
A transatlantic journey precipitates a whimsical, yet perilous, odyssey for Lili Breval, a young French expatriate destined for the gilded cage of her uncle Henry's New York estate. Her arrival portends a strategic alliance, a familial decree aiming to wed her to her cousin Etienne, an arrangement complicated by Etienne's clandestine affections for Gabrielle D'Ornay. The narrative swiftly shifts from urban formality to the disorienting chaos of a train journey to Boston, where a momentary distraction on a rural platform leaves Lili marooned, a tiny, bewildered figure against the vast American landscape. Her flight from menacing vagrants propels her into the embrace of a remote village, a babel of incomprehension until Jim Pemberton, a recently discharged garage mechanic and scion of a rival automotive dynasty, emerges as her unlikely interpreter and protector. Penniless and adrift, this disparate duo embarks on an impromptu pilgrimage to Boston, facing the harsh realities of indigence and the open road. Their journey culminates amidst the roaring engines of an automobile race, a crucible where loyalty is tested, treachery exposed, and Jim's inherent mechanical genius and moral fortitude are ultimately vindicated. His victory not only secures Lili's reunion with her anxious relatives but also unravels the tangled matrimonial schemes, paving the way for a union predicated on genuine affection rather than dynastic ambition, a testament to the serendipitous power of shared adversity and burgeoning love.
Synopsis
Lili Breval, a charming little French girl, goes to New York from France to make her home with her uncle, Henry Breval, a wealthy automobile manufacturer. Her uncle decides to open a Boston office and starts for that city, taking his family with him. In the party to make the journey is Etienne, son of Henry, who, the elder Breval is determined, shall marry his niece. Etienne, unknown to his parents, has other matrimonial ideas, and is in love with Gabrielle D'Ornay, with whom his parents are not acquainted. Soon after leaving New York Uncle Henry and his son go forward into the smoker and Mrs. Breval and her maid fall asleep in the Pullman. The train stops at a country village and Lili, who is out on the platform, sees several children playing nearby. The French girl leaves the observation platform to play with the children and crosses the tracks to reach them. A second train passes between her and the one on which she was riding and while she is thus cut off, the first train pulls out, leaving her in the middle of the tracks. As she stands there, bewildered, she is startled by the approach of two tramps. Lili runs and the men follow. To escape her pursuers, the now thoroughly-scared girl takes to the open country and finally reaches a small village. All the villagers in sight are gathered in front of the local garage and to them she applies for aid. None can understand her. Jim Pemberton, who is responsible for the crowd and who has just had a fight with a customer and been discharged from the garage, where he worked, understands French and comes to her assistance. Jim's father is also an automobile manufacturer, a rival in business to Lili's uncle. Jim places Lili in the care of one of the women of the village. Disconsolate when Jim leaves her, she runs after him and by dint of much pleading persuades him to take her with him. Both are penniless, and when they try to telegraph for funds the agent refuses to send their message without payment. The local hotel keeper refuses them lodgings, so they start for Boston on foot. Lili soon becomes exhausted and Jim finds her shelter in a vacant house at the roadside. He forages for food and the two make a supper from some potatoes and onions, which Jim "borrows" from a neighboring farmer and cooks in an old fireplace. Jim watches over Lili as she sleeps through the night on the floor of the old house. Next morning the little girl and her escort renew their journey. In the first town they reach Jim learns of an automobile race to be held that day and he applies for a job as mechanic on one of the cars. Henry Breval has a car entered in this race, but on account of Lili's disappearance he has placed the car in charge of his friend, Sauverne, and men named Vallon and Mercier have been selected as driver and mechanic of the Breval car. These two men plan to "sell out" the race, but Jim learns of this and tells Sauverne, who engages Jim to drive the car. Jim's father appears at the track and discovers Jim. Sauverne, learning Jim's connections, refuses to allow him to drive and starts to race the ear himself. Vallon, hiding in a thicket, shoots at Sauverne and wounds him. Jim pleads for his chance and Sauverne allows him to drive in the race. Jim wins, and with his pay from Sauverne, he takes Lili to her uncle and aunt in Boston. Breval, in gratitude, gives Jim a position in his office but refuses to allow him to court Lili, for he has in mind her marriage to Etienne, who, in the meantime has secretly married Gabrielle. Pemberton, Sr., learning where his son is working, informs Breval of Jim's true identity. Etienne adds to the surprise by telling of his marriage, and so Uncle Henry at last consents to the marriage of Lili and Jim.
Review Excerpt
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A Whirlwind of Fate: Deconstructing "The Little Mademoiselle"
In the flickering grandeur of early cinema, where narratives often unfolded with a charming earnestness, "The Little Mademoiselle" emerges as a delightful confection of adventure, romance, and serendipitous discovery. This 1917 silent masterpiece, penned by the inventive Mark Swan, transports us to an era of burgeoning modernity, where the automobile symbolizes both progress and the potential for dramatic upheaval. ..."
