In 1846, the actress Gloria Vane is performing at the Adelphi Theatre in London. She is in love with the impoverished nobleman Albert Finsbury, who is about to depart for Australia to become an officer in the Queen's regiment. He is supposed to pay his debts before leaving and uses a forged check to do so. After Finsbury leaves, the forgery is discovered. To protect him, Gloria takes the blame and is sentenced to 7 years in the notorious Paramatta prison in Sydney. From prison, she sends a note asking for help, but he does not reply. A local merchant falls in love with her and asks her to marry him, she agrees, but only as a means of getting out of prison. When she finds out that Finsbury is planning to marry the Governor's daughter, she is heartbroken. Finsbury eventually finds her, but she no longer loves him.