The daughter of a thief, Moll is taken in by a nunnery after her mother is put to death. But an abusive priest caused Moll to rebel as a teenager and run away to the dangerous streets of London. More bad luck forces her to take a job as a prostitute from the cunning Mrs. Allworthy. Moll first meets Hibble there. He works as Allworthy's servant, but he cares a lot about the young woman's well-being. With his help, she doesn't give up hope for the future. In the end, she falls in love with an artist who isn't what you'd expect, but who offers the chance of romantic happiness.