When Amy Custard gets to know poor Marjory Bain and her husband she soon discovers that Mr. Bain is a deserter from the British army and that the couple have been on the run from the law for many years. Herself a daughter of a General, and being engaged to a Lieutenant, Amy struggles with her conscience about reporting the Bains to the authorities. She strikes up a close friendship with the deserter's wife and when Marjory tells Amy about their past, a train of events is set in motion that could cost both the life of the deserter and his wife.