British diplomat Robert Conway and a small group of civilians crash land in the Himalayas, and are rescued by the people of the mysterious Shangri-la.

In Marseilles, France in 1794, Desiree Clary, a young millinery clerk, becomes infatuated with Napoleon Bonaparte, but winds up wedding Genaral Jean-Baptiste Berandotte, an aid to Napoleon who later joins the forces that bring about the Emperor’s downfall.

Sadie Martin owns a riverboat that is frequently used by miners traveling to their claims. During their trip, the miners drink and gamble. Sadie's daughter, Helen, is unaware of her mother's work because her mother sends her to boarding school in order to live a lifestyle more attributed to the upper-class. Unfortunately for Sadie, she is facing difficulty maintaining the costly riverboat. She is soon forced to sell the boat in order to make ends meet.