In which Mr Harding, burdened by a grievous public controversy, wrestles with the heavy weight of duty and personal sorrow as he withdraws into solitude and silent suffering, while his devoted daughter Eleanor seeks to comfort and persuade him with gentle affection and hopeful resolve. Their tender confidences reveal the deep ties of love and the painful conflict between honour and an aching desire for peace, all set against the sombre backdrop of a world quick to judge and slow to forgive.