This story highlights two different societies worlds in their contrast. The first one we see at Sawston, a common English town of Edwardian epoch, where people lived without any interesting events and were extremely bored, where the gap between the upper and lower classes was deep. There live Herritons family – Mrs. Herriton, her son Philip, her daughter Harriet and her daughter-in-law Lilia with her little daughter Irma. Herritons belong to the upper strata of society (at least they act as they do).
Mrs. Herriton was against decision of her elder son Charlie to marry the woman from the lower class, but in the end she made up her mind to this fact. But she never missed the opportunity to moralize Lilia and tell her how she should behave and what she has to do in order to suit their “noble” family. Poor (and stupid) Lilia obeyed without any protest, but soon she started a friendship with one man and liked him so much and it was so clear that Mrs. Harritton decided to send her with Miss Abbott (a friend of Lilia) away, so Lilia could forget about her “crush”(the old lady will so regret this). And Lilia obeys (as usual). She goes to Italy, where she lives in a pretty town Monteriano, completely another world with completely different traditions.
It was the place “where one really does feel in the heart of things and off the beaten track”. People, who live there, are passionate in all aspects of their life, despite dull and arrogant Englishmen, whose each day was very like another. There Lilia meets and marries the pretty but evil (as it turned out) Italian Gino Carella, the son of a dentist. Herritons family is killed with such ungratefulness and contrariness, Philip even tried to persuade Lilia not to marry this man, but it was in vain. So, late Mrs. Herriton decided to break off with this ungrateful person who didn’t treasure what they gave her. Stupid Lilia is under the charms of love, she thinks that she I finally free and happy.
But Gino was a strict husband who didn’t let her to leave the house alone, although he did what he wanted to. Lilia was unhappy she fell ill and later, giving a birth she dies. The little creature becomes extremely important both for Gino and Herritons, but for different reasons, unfortunately, far from love and care. Mrs. Herriton sends Philip ad Harriet to Italy to save the poor child from his “uneducated father”. But telling the truth, she doesn’t care about the child, she just wants to keep her good face in the eyes of society. But the “rescue mission” was a failure, Gino refused to give them the child and Harried (who appeared to be a very purposeful lady) kidnapped the child. But, unfortunately, the child dies in an accident and Harriet goes crazy.
Gino is killed with sorrow and is ready to murder Philip because it was his fault also, but Miss. Abbott smoothers the conflict with love and kindness so that Philip falls in love with her. But at the end of the story Caroline says Philip that she is in love with Gino (and that was in the moment when he was ready to propose her!). and as for Gino, he is going to marry again and it doesn’t like as he is suffering anymore, because, as Miss Abbott noticed, he knows that things which once made him happy will make him happy again.
