An eccentric Parisian woman's optimistic perception of life begins to sound more rational than the rather traditional beliefs of others.

Countess Aurelia lives in the Chaillot district of Paris where she and her three friends, Constance, Gabrielle, and Josephine, indulge in their fantasies of life in the past. In a cafe near the countess' home, an international conspiracy is being formed by a group of financiers, military men, and a religious opportunist to drill for oil beneath the streets of Paris. Roderick, a pacifist student and the nephew of one of the conspirators, learns of their plans and tells Countess Aurelia, who at times confuses Roderick with her former lover. The countess and her friends take a dim view of this lust for money, and they formulate a plan to defeat the conspiracy. She approaches each of the conspirators and tells them that oil is beginning to seep into her cellar. A mock trial is conducted among the countess' friends; the defendants are convicted of excessive greed and condemned to death. When the conspirators arrive to inspect the oil seepage, Countess Aurelia locks them in the cellar and advises Roderick and his girl friend to take advantage of their love before it is too late.