The novel revolves around two totally different ladies, both of which happen to be widows. In England, we have Mrs. Wagner, who wants to run the business of her deceased husband and hire more women; she has a philanthropic vein and takes Jack Straw from the Bedlam asylum right into her own house. Then we have Madame Fontaine, whose husband was a scientist and an expert on toxins. She has had monetary problems since the death of Mr. Fontaine, and gets very excited, when her daughter Minna starts to date Fritz Keller, the son of Mrs. Wagner's business partner …