The drama begins when handsome Johannes Riemann (as Richard de la Croix) is summoned to an asylum, to check on insane brother Alfred Abel (as Andreas de la Croix). As we see in a later flashback, the alluring Pola Negri (as Sappho) left the innocent Mr. Abel, a lowly engineer, for his well-heeled boss Albert Steinrück (as George Bertink); this helped drive Mr. Abel insane. Presently, when Mr. Riemann finds Ms. Negri, she leaves Mr. Steinruck and moves in with Riemann.