Set just after the French Revolution, this operetta tells the story of a duke who gives up his title to further the cause of equality in his nation's colonies. Pretending to be a servant named Charles Michon, he travels by ship to New Orleans, and while on board, meets Marianne de Beaumanoir. Believing he's a naval officer, Marianne falls in love with Charles, but when his real identity is exposed after they arrive in Louisiana, she sends him away. Disillusioned and heartbroken, both leave America on separate vessels, but a sea battle and then a shipwreck brings them together again. Reunited on a remote island, they come to realize their true feelings for each other.