A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story. (Summary by Elroi Shelley)