Lily
Lily is a thief who at the beginning of the story passes herself off as a countess. She falls in love with Gaston Monescu who is impersonating a baron while they are in Venice. They set off together to swindle a perfume manufacterer in Paris, Madame Mariett-Colet. When Gaston becomes Colet's secretary he hires Lily to be his assistant. She and Gaston were meant to leave Paris, but when she finds out Gaston is going to sleep with Colet she steals Colets money from her safe and leaves town. Gaston returns to her and not Colet and the two leave Paris in love and with loot in tow.
Gaston Monescu
Gaston is a world famous crook who has stolen millions from the wealthy. He meets Lily in Venice and they fall in love. They both go to Paris to work for Madame Colet a perfume manufacturer in order to steal her money. He is found out in the course of his time with Colet and must tell her the truth about who he actually is. Once he does she lets him leave without any recourse. Gaston and Lily then head off together into the rest of their lives.
Madame Mariette-Colet
Madame Colet owns a perfume company, and is one of the wealthiest women in Paris. She hires Monescu to be her personal secretary because she is attracted to him. She works her way into an attempt at a relationship with Monescu which ends when she finds out the truth that he is a wolrd famous thief. She does not turn him in, instead letting him go free with Lily.
Francois
Francois is a wealthy man who is robbed in Venice at the beginning of the film. He comes back into the story when he meets Gaston posing as Colet's secretary at one of her parties. He doesn't recognize Gaston as the man who robbed him in Venice as he was hit over the head and doesn't recall it. But his memory is triggered when the Major mentions that he thought Gaston was a doctor when he first met him. This leads to him telling Colet the true identity of Gaston.
