Ronald, heir to Lord Earle in Earlescourt, England, secretly loves Dora Thorne, a desirable but working-class woman. When Lord Earle hears of the relationship, he brings Valentine Charteris to the estate to distract his lovesick son. True to his love, however, Ronald refuses Valentine and marries Dora. After emigrating to Italy, Ronald earns a modest living as a painter, and Dora gives birth to twins. When Ronald receives a generous commission to paint a portrait, he asks Dora to pose for him, but overly preoccupied with the children, she refuses. Wounded by the rejection, Ronald calls on Valentine Charteris and quickly becomes infatuated with her, forcing Dora to return to Earlescourt with the twins.

A story of treachery and intrigue, with the outcome of the story contingent upon a packet of "secret papers."

Heroine Laura suffers spectacularly as her romance with her soldier sweetheart is destroyed by malicious gossip.

Young gypsy girl Mary, is seduced by the immoral Robert Crane and abandoned. She is exiled from the gypsies and, along with her mother Zenda, known as "The Woman in Black," she vows revenge. Meanwhile, Crane blackmails Stella Everett's father into forcing her to marry him, even though she loves Frank Mansfield, Crane's rival for a congressional seat. Frank wins, but Stella still faces the prospect of marriage to Crane until Zenda comes to her with a plan. On their wedding day, after the vows are recited, when Crane lifts the veil from his wife's face, he is shocked to discover, that his new bride is Mary. Now Stella and Frank are free to marry, and Zenda has gained her revenge.

Woman Against Woman is a tale of two sisters. Bessie, the older and more sensible one, is forever losing her boyfriends to Miriam, the younger, prettier and flightier of the two. While "doing the town," Miriam is lured into the apartment of a pair of letches named Crooke and Craven, who ply her with drugged liquor, then have their way with her. Holding Bessie's libertine friend, Rachel, responsible for all this, she heads to Rachel's flat and tries to strangle the life out of the woman. She also sees to it that Crooke and Craven are thrown out of their lodgings for their wanton behavior

The hero, Howard, has just married his sweetheart Mabel. Howard's ex-flame Cora remains in love with Howard, but she despises Mabel. With the help of her old acquaintance Robert, Cora breaks up Howard and Mabel's marriage. On the verge of wedding Howard herself, Cora is exposed for the viper that she is by the careless Robert.