Lawerence Pencey left England as a sailor in the British Navy for the shores of India. He did not return to England until three years afterward, leaving no record of his travels. When he had returned, he had lost all human capability to reason, overcome with severe illness of the mind and left to the caretaking of his sister, Ms. Augusta Pencely. Three years after, he was confined to York asylum after being convicted of murder. Now Augusta is left with the task of redeeming her brother from imprisonment and rebuilding a life that has seemingly been left in tatters.