Two sisters, Grace and Marion, live happily in an English village with two servants Clemency Newcome and Ben Britain, and their good-natured widower father Dr Jeddler, s a man whose philosophy is to treat life as a farce. Marion, the younger, is bethrothed to Albert Heathfield, Jeddler's ward who is leaving the village to complete his studies. He entrusts Marion to Grace's care and makes a promise to return to win Marion's hand.