Ali Nur al-Din, the son of a merchant in Cairo, goes to a feast and becomes drunk for the first time and indulges in debauchery. When he returns home, his father is angry with him and they get into a fight which results in Ali losing an eye. With some money from his mother, Ali moves to Alexandria. One day he sees a slave girl, Miriam, being sold; she is allowed to choose her own master and picks Ali. She comes to live with him and every night she sews a girdle for Ali to sell in the market.