The plot centers upon Clement Yule, a young man of radical political leanings who unexpectedly inherits Covering End, an ancient English estate burdened by severe mortgages. Mr. Prodmore, a shrewd businessman holding every scrap of paper on the property, arrives determined to foreclose unless Yule submits to his commercial and matrimonial schemes. Prodmore intends to pair the reluctant young heir with his own dull, conventional daughter Cora, thereby securing both the estate and a respectable political future.
Complicating these rigid calculations is the sudden appearance of Mrs. Gracedew, an eccentric, wealthy American widow whose boundless enthusiasm for the house disrupts Prodmore's plans. As the visitors tour the grand rooms and antique corridors, Mrs.
Gracedew's appreciation for the historic beauty of Covering End far surpasses that of its actual owner. Through a series of sharp negotiations, accidental breakages, and witty confrontations, the boundaries between business and sentiment begin to blur. Prodmore maneuvers relentlessly to force Yule's hand, while the American visitor brings an unexpected vitality and financial valuation to the ancient walls. Ultimately, the future of the estate hangs on whether Yule can reconcile his aversion to marrying for money with the practical necessity of saving his ancestral home.
