The novel takes place in London in the mid-eighteenth century. The life of Mary Saunders, a girl from a poor family, is gray and joyless. Her innocent desire to have at least something bright◦ – for example, a red ribbon◦ – leads to irreversible consequences. At a very young age, Mary becomes a prostitute and suddenly learns what real freedom is, inaccessible to virtuous women. And yet the danger to which she is exposed forces the girl to seek refuge in the small town of Monmouth. Mary becomes a maid and then an assistant seamstress for the Jones family. Mrs. Jones has sincere affection for her, but Mary, driven by dreams of a better life and the desire to save more money, secretly returns to her previous profession. She is guided by three rules learned on the streets of London: never give up your freedom, clothes make a woman, and clothes are the biggest deception in the world. In the end, it is the craving for beautiful dresses that leads her to disaster.