In a dirty, dilapidated hovel, lives an old ragpicker, who possesses a bag of gold and a magnificent diamond necklace. While worshiping her hoard, Death appears and reviews the horrors of her life. All has been for worldly gain. When young and beautiful, she auctioned her body to the highest bidder; sold her son to the gallows for gold; and throttled a young woman to get possession of her jewels. The woman shrinks from Death; then staggers forward, thrusting the gold into his face, which gradually changes into a skull. With a shriek, the coins and jewels falling from her fear-numbed fingers, she drops dead.