Francois, a hunchback, high-strung musician, plays at a social gathering, and the fair debutante bestows upon him, in appreciation of his talents, a bouquet of lilies of the valley. This attention is misconstrued by Francois into a token of affection and he cherishes them as such. Upon awakening to the truth the disappointment wrecks his reason, and to help him the doctor persuades the girl to pretend affection, which she does, and consents to wear a ring he gives her. Later, upon finding the ring missing he discovers the deception and slyly changing his medicine for water thwarts the doctor's skill and slowly but stubbornly makes his way towards that "blind cave of eternal night to which we all fly for relief and lay our burdens down."