Summary
Deep in the humid atmosphere of Louisiana's Winnecrest Hall, Richard Castleman is a man seeking both physical and spiritual restoration. On the advice of his cousin, Dr. Harry Chilton, Castleman departs for a sea voyage, leaving behind his estate and his devoted fiancée, Jeanne Lamont. However, the voyage is a trap of convenience. When news of Castleman’s death reaches the mainland, Chilton wastes no time in positioning himself as the heir to the fortune and the new suitor for Jeanne. The narrative takes a sharp turn with the arrival of three vagabonds: Danny Rowland, a man with a startling physical resemblance to the 'deceased' Castleman, and his two companions, the scholarly Dominie and the eccentric Squirrel. Finding Rowland wounded, the trio infiltrates the estate, where Rowland is immediately mistaken for the master of the house. What follows is a complex masquerade where the lines between criminality and nobility blur, as the 'imposter' must navigate the suspicions of a jealous cousin while falling for a woman who believes her lost love has returned from the grave.
Synopsis
Richard Castleman, master of Winnecrest Hall in Louisiana, goes on a sea voyage recommended by his cousin and physician, Harry Chilton, who thereupon begins romancing Castleman's fiancée, Jeanne Lamont. When word arrives of Castleman's death, Chilton prepares to usurp the fortune and property of the dead man. Danny Rowland, who is found wounded by two wandering crooks, Dominie and The Squirrel, opportunely arrives at the estate seeking food and rest; and because of his resemblance to Castleman, he is welcomed as the master. Dominie is introduced as an English cleric and The Squirrel as an Italian count, while Danny falls in love with Jeanne, who believes him to be her fiancé. Chilton, however, suspects the trio and finally unmasks them. It then develops that Danny actually is Castleman, who had decided to reform the two men who befriended him and to expose the dishonesty of his cousin.
