The Daughter of the Spy - Production & Contact Info (original) (raw)

The opening scene introduces Louis, the jailer's son, and Beatrice, whom he loves. He pleads his suit with all a lover's ardor and diffidence, but she gently, yet firmly, says him nay. About the same time Count Rossi and his ...See moreThe opening scene introduces Louis, the jailer's son, and Beatrice, whom he loves. He pleads his suit with all a lover's ardor and diffidence, but she gently, yet firmly, says him nay. About the same time Count Rossi and his co-conspirators seek to overturn the government. The insurrection is soon suppressed and the Count and his friends are either slain or fugitives. Count Rossi is among the latter. Sorely wounded and hard pressed by his pursuers, he seeks entrance at the gate of an old mansion, but there is no response from within. Then he climbs to the roof and, with his remaining strength, opens an iron shutter that guards a small window. Looking in he finds that it leads to a small sleeping room, the only occupant being a young girl who has retired for the night. The noise made by him has awakened her and she glances nervously at the intruder, the outline of his head and shoulders being dimly shown by the light from without. Hastily she lights a candle and a flood of sympathy wells up in her heart for the handsome young stranger, who supports himself half fainting on the sill, his face showing extreme pain and exhaustion. Then she assists him to enter and bathes his wounds. This done, she goes to her father's room and tells him of the strange visitor. Unknown to Beatrice, her father is a government spy, and he soon discovers the identity of the Count. He knows that a large reward is offered for information leading to the arrest of Count Rossi, and immediately reveals his hiding place to officers of the government. The Count is arrested and, believing that Beatrice has assisted in his ruin, he heaps bitter reproaches on her head as he is led away to prison. Beatrice is wounded to the soul by the charge and still believing in her father's innocence of the crime against hospitality, questions him. He does not deny his guilt. Utterly cast down, Beatrice renounces her father and leaves her home. In the meantime Count Rossi has been brought before the governor and sentenced to death. Learning that the Count has been imprisoned in the castle, the jailer of which is the father of her discarded lover, Louis, she forms a daring plan for his escape. She calls on Louis and promises to become his wife. Overjoyed, he takes her into his father's quarters in the jail and introduces her. The old jailer welcomes her cheerfully as his prospective daughter. He is busily engaged in preparing the evening meal for the prisoners, and points to the rations intended for the Count, among them a small loaf of bread. While father and son were busy in another part of the room, Beatrice wrote a note and hurriedly thrust it into the Count's loaf. The note advised him that a friend was near and counseled him to have courage and hope. Previous to this, she had persuaded Louis to show her the location of the Count's cell. Now she determined to secure the keys of the jail. His father having made the prison rounds with food, Louis was left in charge of the prison for the night. Beside himself with joy over the gracious words and tender looks of his sweetheart, Louis had no suspicion of her duplicity. Flinging an arm around his neck, as if in affectionate embrace, with woman's cunning Beatrice pressed to his nostrils a handkerchief, well soaked in a powerful anesthetic. After a brief struggle, the youth succumbed to the narcotic, and Beatrice took possession of his keys. Then she hurried to release the man whom she had learned to think of as the dearest object on earth or in heaven. She had just overheard the jailer say to his son that the Count would be beheaded on the morrow, and this renewed her energy and fainting spirit to the utmost. The Count, on recognizing his liberator, at first refused to accept liberty at her hands; but she soon convinced him that she was innocent and revealed that it was her love only that compelled her to seek his safety. It chanced on this very night that the spy had warned the governor to take all necessary precautions against the prisoner's escape, and he himself had personally received instructions from that dignitary to supervise the soldiers on watch. Beatrice and the Count had succeeded in lowering themselves from the prison cell to the beach below, and were hurrying toward the sea to a boat, when the spy caught sight of the fugitives. He ordered a soldier nearby to fire on them and, the shot going wild, he himself seized the weapon and took careful aim. At that moment the Count was bearing Beatrice in his arms through the waves. The bullet pierced her heart. Careless now of safety, he bore her back to the dry beach and pressed her lifeless body to his heart. When the spy and the guards came upon the scene, the face of the dead girl was turned upward to the sky, while the Count looked on in hope less agony. Recognizing the features of his own child, the spy gave a shriek of horror. Clutching at his heart he staggered and fell, struck dead by the sight. Then the soldiers permitted the Count to take one last kiss from the pallid lips, before marching him off to the place of execution. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less