Mandarin's Gold (1919)

In China, a boy reads a legend about a mysterious woman's power over a wealthy Mandarin prince. In New York, Betty Cardon, a social butterfly, disregards her husband Blair's order to stop gambling their money at bridge, and finds herself in debt to Geoffrey North, who, encouraged by her flirting, now wants sexual payment. Cherry Blossom, a Chinese girl who refuses to be sold by her father to the brutal Li Hsun, a wealthy Mandarin, hides in Betty's home after Betty's friend, Susan Pettigrew, a mission worker, introduces them. Panicked and distraught, Betty accepts Li Hsun's gold for Cherry Blossom. She guiltily follows them and witnesses Cherry Blossom's torture to force her to give up her lover. Both are killed when she refuses. Blair arrives with the police who shoot Li Hsun trying to escape. After Blair denounces Betty, she awakens to discover she dreamed she accepted Li Hsun's offer. She then confesses to Blair and vows to stop gambling.