Hessian officers' flirtations with an artist's daughter accidentally give signals to the attacking English.

Set in Spain in 1812 during Napoleon's Peninsular Campaign, the story follows the Marquis of Bolibar. After being driven from his home by the French invaders, he conspires with the Spanish leaders to re-enter his town and indicate to them through signals the best method of recapturing it. He is caught and shot, but fate decrees that the executioners themselves unwittingly give the signals on which the dead Marquis had agreed.—Ulf Kjell Gür