'Camellia, strong-minded, imaginative, the daughter of a rich merchant dealing with the court of Louis XIV, has become of marriageable age and several young men seek her hand. In the woods near Versailles, she helps two young men, Piero and Francis, and in a tavern encounters a dark bearded stranger. Her mind is full of excitement about the extraordinary Piero so that she realises that she is in love with him.' (Publication Summary)