Act I opens with a beautiful view of the River Seine in the background and shows the arrival of the blind girl and her sister. They encounter an old hag who makes her living by begging and worse practices, and who has two sons, one a cripple, who makes a poor living as a scissors grinder, the other a vagabond who lives on what he can steal. The girl who has her sight attracts the attention of a libertine nobleman who causes her abduction leaving the unfortunate bind girl at the mercy of the hag, who persuades her to accompany her to her lodging with a view of compelling her to sing and beg on the streets. Act II introduces a gay scene. Nobles and ladies of the French Court are enjoying themselves when one of the men boasts of his capture of the girl who has been abducted. She is brought in and appears greatly frightened by her surroundings. One of the noblemen objects to the manner in which the girl has been treated, and high words ensue which lead to a duel, resulting in the death of her abductor. Act III, a street in Paris during a severe snow storm. The hag is seen compelling the girl to beg from passersby. Whatever money is obtained in this way is at once appropriated by her taskmistress, who departs with her youngest son, leaving the cripple and the blind girl together, between whom an affecting scene takes place, each offering words of comfort for the other’s affliction. Act IV, the girl who had been abducted and rescued is seen at work in her humble lodging. She is visited by her deliverer and one of the elder court ladies, but while conversing with them she fancies she hears in the street her sister’s voice and sees her pass through the snowy street before her mental vision, accompanied by the hag and her two sons. She attempts to rush out to join her sister, but is stopped at the door by the gendarmes, and being arrested for a supposed crime is conveyed to the prison of St. Sulpice. Act V. a most realistic presentation of the interior of the female prison in which the girl just arrested appears with others in the garb of the inmates of St. Sulpice. Through the generosity of one of the other inmates and the kindness of the Lady Superior in charge, she obtains her pardon and at once leaves to renew her search for her sister. Act VI, the interior of a garret, where are lodged the hag, her victim and her two sons. The hag abuses the unfortunate blind girl and drives her from the room before the entrance of her sister, who has been traced to the place. The sister sinks onto a rude bed and, overcome by weariness and grief, falls into an uneasy sleep. The hag and her son leave and the blind girl re-enters the room. By some mysterious attraction she recognizes her sleeping sister and the two are joyfully reunited. The woman and her son again enter and try to separate the girls. A fight ensues between the cripple and his brother, the former trying to champion the cause of the girl, in the midst of which the gendarmes arrive on the scene, accompanying the nobleman who rescued the elder girl, and the court lady. The hag and her villainous son are place under arrest and the other characters are made happy as is their due.