In the London fog, two men bump into each other one night. They are immediately unnerved by their exact resemblance to each other. Jack Chilcote MP is a rising political star and John Loder a man with a thwarted ambition. The plan they jointly hatch leads to a story of high tension both politically and personally. The book has been turned into a play and four films over the years. The authoress sadly died in 1911 at the age of 36.

The book follows the life of Clodagh Asshlin, an Irish girl brought up with her younger sister by her spendthrift father in the wilds of the Irish countryside. When her father dies, she marries the much older friend of her father who pays off all the family’s debts. They move to Italy, where Clodagh falls in with a fast crowd where she is easily led by her naivete and youth down the wrong paths. However, eventually she sees sense and her life takes a turn for the better. - Summary by Simon Evers