Zaidee Vivian is a 14-year-old orphan who lives with her cousins, the Vivian family of the Grange, a comfortable estate in Cheshire. Her cousin Philip is about to turn 21 and come into his inheritance of the Grange. Zaidee discovers a hidden will left by their grandfather, in which he bequeathed the Grange to Zaidee's father rather than Philip's father. Horrified, Zaidee tries to conceal the will, but Philip discovers it and refuses to conceal it. Unable to face the impoverishment of the Vivian family which her inheritance would cause, Zaidee runs away.

This is one of those Victorian novels in which the plot strains credulity for a number of reasons. Also, Mrs Oliphant has a rather elaborate writing style which requires some concentration, with frequent lapses into the present tense. Nonetheless I am now eager to read more by Mrs Oliphant. She paints lovely portraits of the wild Cheshire coast and the Thames by Twickenham; her characters are living, breathing, people. The story, despite its improbabilities, is charming. ( )