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In the 1700s, a poor surgeon from Durham, Mr. Clifford, marries a milliner and settles in York. One of a clergyman's many children, he is of such integrity that he wants only to be useful to the community, rather than to "flatter the foibles of the ladies". However, their money dwindles, for which Mrs. Clifford constantly scolds him - she craves luxury.
One night, a muffled stranger knocks at the door, saying he has searched for two months to find an unappreciated worthy character, but insists on secrecy. If Clifford is willing to give him two or three weeks, he will receive £500. He is gone for five weeks. On his return, he says they must move house and will receive a half-yearly income for twenty years and a £1000 lump sum. They leave, and when they get to Carlisle, tells his wife she must accept a three-month old child, Georgina, as her own. They continue on to Port Patrick, where Clifford reveals they are to live in Ireland, in Killyreagh. His wife is displeased.
They settle, and when, six months later, an Irish nobleman, Lord Dunlaney, is thrown from his horse, Clifford attends him and they make friends, Clifford becoming his household surgeon. His lordship is a widower, whose late wife's sister, Miss Carrisfort, acts as guardian to his two children. She is vain and despised by the neighbourhood for living alone with Lord Carrisfort. Mrs. Clifford resents Georgina, for whose upbringing she has "a paltry" £200 per year, and soon leaves her husband with a man and goes to France.
Miss Carrisfort is pleased, as she is attracted to Clifford, and tries to get him to divorce his wife, in vain. Lord Dunlaney asks him to live at the castle and Clifford, by means of a newspaper advert, asks permission of his benefactor, who agrees. At dinner one night, Sir William Symonds arrives, a dissipated relative of Lord Dunlaney. Miss Carrisfort now switches her attention to him, and, shortly after, they marry.
Lord Dunlaney falls ill and Sir William suggests the South of France. Clifford remains at home, where the papers relating to Georgina are lost in a fire. Hearing Lord Dunlaney has had a stroke, Clifford sets off for Paris, leaving Georgina with the housekeeper. Ten days after meeting Lord Dunlaney and the Symondses in Paris, Clifford disappears, as do the contents of several of the party's trunks. Lord Dunlaney cannot believe that Clifford is a thief, but he cannot be found. They return home and Lord Dunlaney dies. Sir William was behind Clifford's disappearance and now has control over the money left by Clifford and Lord Dunlaney to Georgina and Lady Symonds.
Georgina is sent to school. Lord Dunlaney's son takes the Grand Tour. Sir William has Lady Symonds shut up in a ruined castle in Castle-Ray, Ulster, and he sets off for England, sending for Georgina to be a lady's companion. In fact, he takes her to a house in Upper Brook Street in London. Everyone thinks she is Sir William's mistress, though she does not realise. On a walk, she meets Mr. Marsh, a clergyman who asks her how she can bear her situation. It is clear she did not know what people were thinking, and cannot believe her guardian plans her dishonour. Sir William perceives her doubts and plans a move back to Ireland. Georgina finds books borrowed from the circulating library by the maid. In the villains of Clarissa, Pamela and Sir Charles Grandison she recognises the character of Sir William. .
Sir William tells Georgina that Lady Symonds is dead, so they are not going to Ireland, but Paris. On the way, in Canterbury, they meet an old mistress of Sir William's, Mrs. Hood, a flighty, unprincipled widow. She comes to Paris, too, but is jealous of Sir William's regard for Georgina, though she is won over by him to help him seduce the girl. He attempts this, but, due to her novel-reading, Georgina has become more worldly wise and thwarts him. She escapes to a cottage and a nearby lady, Madame Villeneuve, offers to help. She is a kind, English-speaking French widow of forty. Sir William and Mrs. Hood search for Georgina. Mrs. Hood demands marriage, even though Lady Symonds is still alive. Sir William is blackmailed into agreeing. At an inn, Madame Villeneuve and Georgina hear that an Englishwoman is there, dying of consumption. She is Mrs. Clifford, who Georgina thinks is her real mother. Mrs. Clifford tells her she is not and regrets her life. She has been abandoned by her lover and has had many "protectors", her profligate life-style bringing on ill-health. She worked for a milliner in Clermont but got a cold in her lungs.She signs a document with all this information for Georgina, and later dies repentant.
In Paris, Madame Villeneuve and Georgina meet an English nobleman, Lord Lymington, who has seen Georgina before with Sir William, as he lives nearby. Mr. Marsh, the clergyman, had corrected his first impression that Georgina was Sir William's mistress. He has since thought of her often. Georgina is later shocked to see Sir William. Madame Villeneuve goes with her to see him he says Georgina's papers and money are gone because Mr. Clifford robbed Lord Dunlaney. Madame Villeneuve tells Lord Lymington Georgina's story and he vows to get a solicitor onto the case. He then offers to escort them back to England, pleasing Madame Villeneuve, as she has fallen in love with him.
Sir William decides to absent himself for a while. Mrs. Hood says she will go to England and secure his property. She asks for his papers so she can destroy them. Sir William leaves for Italy, Mrs. Hood for London, where she finds a broker and gets over £30,000, buys stock in her maiden name for £20,000 and decides to take the rest back to Paris. She pays £5,000 into a bank for Sir William and tells him Madame Villeneuve is in London so he had better leave Europe. Realising she has duped him, he leaves for Toulon to sail to America.
Meanwhile, Madame Villeneuve and Georgina are in Ireland, searching for information on the girl's birth, where they find Doctor Nugent, a friend of Mr. Clifford, who invites them to stay. They meet Mrs. Fortescue and her relative Sir Charles Boyle, who is attracted to Georgina. Madame Villeneuve is jealous, as Georgina now has two admirers. Lord Lymington is unsure about Georgina, because of a deathbed request of his father's that he never marry beneath him. Sir Charles does not care about her birth, and gives Lord Lymington a month to decide before he courts her. Madame Villeneuve is so jealous that Georgina tells Mrs. Fortescue she wants to leave as Madame Villeneuve will be marrying soon. Mrs. Fortescue offers her own home. Madame Villeneuve asks Lord Lymington to escort her to London and he accepts, thinking Georgina will be going too. He is angry when he discovers she is not, but Sir Charles is pleased. At dinner, a local man, Mr. Butler comes to apologise that his wife has spread rumours that Georgina is the illegitimate daughter of Lord Dunlaney and Miss Carrisfort. He is attracted by Madame Villeneuve.
At the doctor's, news arrives that Sir William is confined in Toulon, where a chance meeting with an old servant led to the man accusing him of murder and the robbery for which Mr. Clifford was framed. The servant says Sir William attempted Mr. Clifford's life by arson, and had told the authorities he was an enemy of the French government, for which he was confined in the Bastille. Sir William slits his wrists and dies, leaving a letter admitting his guilt. He had destroyed all the papers except those pertaining to money. He says Lady Symonds is not dead but held at Castle Ray. He leaves money to her and to Georgina, who, now an heiress could marry Lord Lymington, but will not, as he is too guarded, and she writes to tell him so.
Madame Villeneuve is now attracted by Mr. Butler, whose wife has died. They marry.
Georgina and Mrs. Fortescue release Lady Symonds. Soon Mr. Clifford arrives to tell his story. He was taken by a gentleman to deliver a lady of Georgina. When told it was a girl, she told Mr. Clifford he must take the child. The gentleman said the lady was married, but there were complicated circumstances.
Lord Lymington has become engaged to the daughter of Lord and Lady Cecil. Lady Symonds tells Georgina not to be too angry with him as his family is of such great distinction that it would have been hard for him to marry someone of unknown origin. She says Sir Charles's grandfather, a Cork merchant, had bought a baronetcy, so there was no hereditary honour to support. Georgina marries Sir Charles, Lord Lymington marries Miss Cecil, and Madame Villeneuve (now Mrs. Butler) forgives Georgina enough to come and live close by. Mr. Clifford lives with Dr. Nugent and is beloved and respected by all.
© 2001 Karen Morton / Sheffield Hallam University
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