Farinet ou l'Or dans la Montagne plot
A young farmer discovers a small vein of gold in the mountains and produces coins. He is arrested and escapes. The people of the village give him shelter and protection, hoping to get rich with the gold. When he is arrested again, he flees with Josephine, the maid of the inn. She hides him and feeds him. The mayor is caught between two fires: if he has the young man arrested, it goes against popular opinion, but if he doesn't, he makes himself an accomplice. He then tries to get a promise from the perpetrator that he will no longer make counterfeit money. The young man sees that the mayor has a beautiful daughter and asks for time to think. But Josephine gets jealous.