Plot

From the dungeon where the lean beasts prowled, Hassan Bey summoned from her young lover's arms the old rug maker's daughter. Still she was obdurate. In his madness, he had poisoned his other love with the deadly sting of a serpent. His fury spent, he fell from bey to man, and sought to atone according to his light.—Moving Picture World synopsis

This story is laid in Persia. The first scene opens in the old rug maker's shop where the young daughter and the young man employed by the rug maker are weaving rugs. They are apparently in love with each other. Presently, the bey of the province comes into the shop to order a new rug. He is struck with the beauty of the girl. Some hours later, seated on his throne, his dancing women fail to interest him. His thoughts are in the rug shop. He sends Timur, his most loved slave, forth to the old rug maker's and commands him to bring back the beautiful young daughter. Once in the presence of the bey, she refuses his advances and tells him of her young lover. That young person has followed her to the bey's palace and is ushered in by the faithful Timur. From her curtained chamber in the next room the favorite slave joyfully watches the bey's failure to interest the young woman. In wrath the bey orders the young woman and her lover to the dungeon, where wild beasts are prowling. In the meantime, an Egyptian snake charmer appears before the bey and interests him in some rare collections from Africa. He decides to add to his collection and buys, among others, an especially poisonous viper. Then the designing Timur, who has always disliked the favorite, goes to the bey. "Two mistresses cannot be at peace in one house," says he, and he suggests that the favorite be put out and that the viper be placed in her jewel box. Thus, while the bey is asking the favorite to dance for his pleasure once more, the snake charmer and Timur enter her chamber and place the poisonous snake in her jewel box. When she places her hand in the box to put on her jewels, she receives the fatal bite. She dies in the arms of the bey who (as a stall) accuses the snake charmer. Then the girl is brought from the dungeon and again refuses the bey's advances. She faints in his arms. The bey realizes that he is not only the idol of a province, but a man with a conscience. Going into the next room, he seizes his dead favorite, killed by his own hand, and summoning Timur, he tells him to free the boy and the girl. He returns to the chamber and thrusts his hand into the jewel box and meets with the like fate of his favorite and dies in her arms. There Timur finds him, a victim of his designs.—Moving Picture World synopsis