In which the devoted Dr Thorne is summoned back to the bedside of the ailing Sir Roger Scatcherd, whose fierce attachment to brandy and turbulent reflections on life lay bare the poignant complexity of a man burdened by wealth yet starved for companionship. The baronet confides in his steadfast friend the contents of a newly made will that entrusts both fortune and formidable responsibilities to his wayward son, leaving Dr Thorne to grapple with the weight of such legacy and the uncertain shadows cast over their immediate future.