About the title
A woman with two daughters marries a man she believes to be a wealthy widower, but after his sudden death she finds herself even deeper in debt. Her elder daughter Elvira, the plain stepsister of the beautiful Agnes, dreams of marrying a prince and is willing to go to great lengths to become a beauty and shine at the upcoming ball. Seeing it as a worthwhile investment, the mother sends Elvira to have surgery to reshape her nose.