A Message to Garcia

Natali, a Hindu, marries an Englishman, Sir Christopher Madgwick. They have a daughter who is kidnapped by Natali's former suitor Sani. The girl is handed over to be trained as a vestal virgin. Natali dies and Madgwick returns to England, taking with him the precious ruby that Natali had snatched from Sani in a struggle. Years pass; Sir Christopher remarries and has two more children who mistreat him and Sani dies, revealing to the priests the location of the ruby, which he stole from them in the first place.

Ralph Valentine, a penniless pianist, goes to Paris to pursue his career. He is attracted to two women: Pauline, the sweet and innocent daughter of his landlady, and Flora Margot, a woman of loose morals who runs with a wild crowd. Because of his irrational passion for Flora, Ralph makes a bargain with Satan, who gives him a magic skin which gratifies every wish and shrinks, along with the well-being of its possessor, in proportion to the number of wishes realized. Ralph tries in vain to rid himself of the skin after Pauline commits suicide because of his vices. Just as the devil comes to lead him into hell, Ralph awakes with the skin in his hands in an antique store where he had gone to buy a necklace for Flora. He throws down the skin, and runs to Pauline and professes his love for her, happy that he had been only dreaming.

The story of this film begins with the ominous day on which Lord Bellomont gave William Kidd a commission to rid the seas of pirates. Instead of complying with Lord Bellomont's desires, Kidd immediately commenced a series of piratical attacks at first on French and Spanish vessels and later on ships of all nationalities indiscriminately.