Since her father's death, Emma Beech has been the main bread-winner of her family, selling paper flowers to the theatre crowds in the West End. Her dream of escaping poverty seems more achievable when she meets former magician Theodore Barrington, and he encourages her to become his assistant for a new act. Learning of their rehearsals, her mother is scandalized at the very thought of her daughter appearing on stage, and Emma is forced to choose between her family, and fame, fortune and the magnetic charm of the Great Theodore...