Part One
In the first part of the epistolary novel, told by letters of the protagonist Gilbert Markham to his friend Jack Halford, Markham describes the arrival to Wildfell Hall of a mysterious woman dressed in mourning a long time ago. Her appearance causes serious interest among the inhabitants of the nearby village; they go to visit her one by one, but the stranger, who had introduced as Mrs. Graham, gives a very cool reception. They manage only to learn that she is a widow, and her company is the only maid. Soon Gilbert meets Mrs. Graham at the Sunday service. He finds the woman beautiful, but her manner is to keep herself secluded.
Two days later, while hunting near Wildfell Hall, Gilbert saves a boy about five years old, who, seeing his dog tried to climb over the fence of the mansion, but has been caught on the branch of a tree and hung onto it. At the cries of her son soon runs scared Mrs. Graham; she coldly thanks Gilbert and does not hide her distrust of him.
After another couple of days, Mrs. Graham comes along with her son at a dinner in Markham. Her views on the education of her son and the unwillingness to give the child even a drop of alcohol surprise the guests. Meanwhile between Mrs. Graham and Gilbert occurs a dispute on education of children, which further spoil their relationship even more. But the little Arthur, son of Mrs. Graham, who on the contrary, imbued with confidence in Gilbert, forces them to come to terms.
Despite the fact that the views of Mrs. Graham cause outrage in the village, a visitor flow to her does not stop. Arriving one day to her home with her sister Rosa, Gilbert discovers that Mrs. Graham makes a living selling paintings. But only view of Wildfell Hall she signs with a fictitious name Fernley Manor, and the initials of the picture are not hers. Whom is she hiding from?
Over time, Gilbert understands that the mysterious Mrs. Graham becomes for him more and more interesting. He stops to care for Eliza Millward, who hitherto had been nice to him, and switches his attention to a beautiful occupant of Wildfell Hall. In retaliation Eliza with her friend Jane Wilson, begins to spread scandalous rumors about Mrs. Graham. Jane’s hatred is not groundless as well - the owner of Wildfell Hall, Mr. Lawrence, who she has feeling for, pays Mrs. Graham too much attention.
However, Helen (the name of Mrs. Graham, as Gilbert discovers only after long acquaintance with her) firmly rejects all his advances. Dirty gossip about Mrs. Graham soon turn into persecution. Gilbert resolutely refuses to believe any rumors and wants to protect her from slander, proposes Helen to marry him. She refuses, but promises to reveal him the secret of her past, if they meet the next day on the moorland. However, Gilbert returns to Wildfell Hall, and, to his misfortune, sees Helen walking in the garden with Mr. Lawrence. During the conversation, part of which he had heard, it becomes clear that they care for each other. Gilbert decides that dirty rumors were true, and they are really lovers.
A few days later, Gilbert meets Lawrence during a trip to a nearby town and exchanging barbs with him, hits him with the whip, from which Lawrence falls off his horse. From Helen he tries to stay away, even attempts of a little Arthur to reconcile them do not bring any results. Soon Gilbert notices that his conduct brings Helen suffering and goes to Wildfell Hall. After having heard the reason of his alienation Mrs. Graham gives him her diary, which should prove that his conclusions were wrong.
Part One
The next part of the novel consists of diary note, narrated on behalf of Helen, and begins with the fact that she was a young girl of eighteen, and was returning from her first trip to London. All her impressions of the trip are overshadowed by nascenting feelings for Arthur Huntingdon, beautiful and charming, but an immoral young man. Despite attempts of her aunt to reason her, Helen believes that Arthur can be corrected for the better, if she marries him.
Mr. Huntingdon shares the same feelings, but his advances are rude and selfish. He takes without asking a folder with Helen’s pictures, where, to his delight, finds his portrait, and when she is offended at this behavior and is cold with him, Arthur begins to flirt with Annabella Wilmot, who is indifferent to him. Despite this, Helen’s feelings for him do not fade, and she agrees to his proposal.
After the wedding Arthur does not change; he continues to tease his wife - this time with stories of his adventures with women. All this leads to a quarrel, but the young couple soon reconciles and together go to London. After a while, Arthur forces Helen to go home alone, as he has important things to do in the city. He returns only after three and a half months, and Helen realizes that he has been busy in London not with work, and entertainments.
Soon Helen gives a birth to her son, who is named after his father. Huntingdon does not share his wife's love for their son, on the contrary, the mother’s attention to their son makes him jealous.
Arthur’s trips to London become an annual event, and he does not take Helen with him. Only guests can reconcile him with home, with his wife. In the diary Helen pays much attention to friends of Arthur - Lord Loughborough, Ralph Hattersley and Walter Hargrave. They all play important roles in Helen’s family life. Arthur's feelings for his wife gradually fade away, and it cannot stay unnoticed by Walter Hargrave, who is secretly in love with Helen. However, Helen firmly rejects all his advances.
After three years after the wedding Helen discovers that Arthur has been cheating on her with Annabella Wilmot, a wife of a melancholy and patient Lord Loughborough, a longtime friend of Arthur's. Unlike Huntingdon, he was able to overcome a bad addiction to alcohol, opium and gambling. Alas, to build a happy family life, of which he had dreamed, it did not help him.
When Helen learns about the infidelity she demands Arthur to let her go with her son to live separately, but Arthur refuses, not wanting to spoil his reputation. Helen’s life becomes even more unbearable when she realizes that her son is much more attached to his father, who indulges all his whims. When Huntingdon Senior begins to teach his young son to drink and swear, Helen decides to run away. She plans to earn a living by painting, but Arthur learns of her plans and burns up all her accessories for painting.
Lord Loughborough learns about the betrayal of his wife just two years later, and despite the anguish, divorces with her. From her he has two children - his own son and a daughter, whose father most likely is Huntingdon. Nevertheless, Lord raises her as his own. Arthur soon finds himself a new mistress - Miss Myers, who hires as a governess to his young son.
The situation seems hopeless, but then Helen’s brother Frederick comes to the aid, he is ready to give his sister shelter in Wildfell Hall, an empty mansion in which they were born and lived as children. One early autumn morning Helen, with her son and faithful servant, Rachel flees from her husband's house and safely gets to Wildfell Hall. For the purposes of secrecy, she decides to use her mother’s maiden name Graham, she does not risk to return to her own – Lawrence.
Part Three
The narration in the third part of the novel it told on behalf of Gilbert, in his letters. In the morning, having finished reading the diary, he goes to Wildfell Hall. At the meeting, Helen asks Gilbert to leave her because she, as he knows, is not free, and they can not be together.
Two months later Helen leaves Wilddfell Hall and goes back to her husband, and the reason for that is his illness. Her attempts to help are futile, Arthur drives himself into the grave only by the fact that in spite of the instructions of the physician continues to drink alcohol.
A year passes. Eliza Millward once gleefully tells Gilbert that his dear Helen is about to get married with Walter Hargrave. Gilbert immediately goes to the wedding, but he discovers that the reality is somewhat different - Frederick Lawrence marries another representative of the family Hargrave, Esther.
Realizing that his feelings for Helen has not weakened, Gilbert decides to visit her, but on the way to the estate of Helen, he learns that now her financial status is much higher than his. Doubts torment him whether she would agree to marry a simple farmer, and he decides that he should better go back.
However, after a random meeting on the road, with unconcealed joy Helen invites Gilbert to her estate, and gives him to understand that for her the difference in social status is nothing compared with the union of sincerely loving souls and hearts. The lovers get married soon and are very happy.
