Wanting desperately to be on the stage, Madeline runs away from her convent school to accept the offer of a despicable dancing teacher named Jahoda to appear in vaudeville with him. She soon tires of appearing in dirty second-rate music halls and, becoming frightened when Jahoda makes obvious advances towards her, returns home soon after and marries Loton. Time passes and one night Madeline is attending the opera when her back begins to itch excruciatingly. Val Romney, a man with a reputation for always doing what he wants, notices Madeline's distress and scratches her back. Later, in the lobby, she passes him a note asking him to call. He does so and discovers that Madeline is being blackmailed by Jahoda. After a series of adventures in which Loton's jealousy is aroused, Val traps Jahoda and his services are reciprocated when Madeline scratches his back.