In Paris, which is besieged by the Burgundians, François Villon (Ronald Colman) is the despair of Father Villon, the priest who took him in and raised him. Father Villon takes François to mass after his latest escapade (robbing a royal storehouse). There François spies a beautiful woman, Katherine DeVaucelles (Frances Dee). Entranced, he tries to strike up an acquaintance with her, reciting some of his poetry to her. On the surface, she is unmoved, but when soldiers come to take him into custody, she provides him with an alibi.