In which Anna Estcourt, a pretty but discontented young woman caught in the uneasy toils of dependence upon her wealthy sister-in-law, contemplates the weariness and monotony of her social existence while yearning for independence and meaning. Amidst the quiet reflection offered by St. Paul's afternoon service, she secretly nurtures hopes of kindness, change, and the ability to bring comfort to the unhappy, even as she struggles with the cold realities of her family life.