Eugenia and Felix, who since their early childhood have lived in Europe, moving from France to Italy and from Spain to Germany. In Germany, Eugenia entered into a Morganatic marriage with Prince Adolf, the younger brother of the reigning prince who is now being urged by his family to dissolve the marriage for political reasons. Because of this, Eugenia and Felix decide to travel to America to meet their distant cousins, so that Eugenia may "seek her fortune" in the form of a wealthy American husband.