In which a young vicar, burdened by family tradition and his own unsettled heart, finds his appetite replaced by a feverish devotion to a mysterious poem from an English lady, awakening in him lovesick turmoil and wild hopes. His impetuous attempts to connect with her lead to public rebuke and the counsel of a worldly friend, who advises him on the harsh realities of affectionate illusions amid the strict codes of local honour.