As she stares out through the train window, Hester Grahame counts the minutes until it crosses the border into France and takes her to safety - safety from the Spanish police for Hester is fleeing from Spain with the ugly accusation of theft hanging over her head. A chance encounter with the beautiful Perlita Contreras presents an opportunity of losing herself in a small village under a different identity, and she seizes it eagerly, not realizing she is being duped. Posing as Perlita brings her into contact with Luis Chavez, as arrogant and ruthless as he is handsome, and from him Hester learns how Perlita tricked them both. When offered the outrageous choice of marrying him in Perlita's stead, or being denounced to the police, Hester's first impulse is to refuse, but she has fallen in love with Luis and agrees to his proposal. Her consent sparks all a chain of strange events which reach an exciting climax in the village bullring.