Summary
In a poignant exploration of societal friction and moral reckoning, 'The Price of Innocence' unveils a captivating saga rooted in a seemingly innocuous transaction. The benevolent, if somewhat eccentric, patriarch, Old Man Greyson, bestows the secluded Goose Island, a rugged coastal haven off Maine, upon a devout community of fisherfolk who have established their ad-hoc dwelling there, accepting merely three fish as symbolic recompense. However, this unconventional deed, a testament to Greyson's magnanimity, vanishes into the annals of bureaucratic oversight. Years later, following Greyson's demise, his scion, George, a man of modern sensibilities and stark pragmatism, arrives to assert his inherited claim. He dismisses the islanders' 'fish story' as a fanciful delusion, dispatching enforcers to dislodge the entrenched squatters. Yet, the narrative takes an unexpected turn when George encounters Mary Aldron, the ethereal ward of the village minister, whose unblemished purity and earnest plea disarm his mercenary resolve. In a calculated gambit, he proposes a truce: he will relinquish his eviction efforts if Mary consents to a ten-day sojourn as his house guest. During this confined interlude, Mary's inherent virtue proves an insurmountable bulwark against George's predatory intentions; her unyielding innocence dismantles his designs for seduction, leaving him humbled and profoundly altered. Returning to her island sanctuary, Mary finds herself ostracized, publicly excoriated as a harlot by her erstwhile admirers, including a reformed derelict whose transformation she had previously championed. Desperate and bereft, she retreats to George, only for a further misunderstanding to compel her back to the unforgiving island community. George, now genuinely enamored and transformed, embarks on a relentless pursuit, intervening dramatically to prevent the islanders from branding Mary with a gold cross—a public mark of shame. In the crucible of this climactic confrontation, Mary, recognizing the depth of George's evolved affection and his valiant defense, finally embraces his love, signaling a redemptive triumph over rigid dogma and communal prejudice.
Synopsis
Kind hearted millionaire Old Man Greyson sells Goose Island, off the Maine coast, to religious fisher folk who have established a squatters' settlement there, for three fish. When Greyson dies, the transferred deed is lost. Years later, Greyson's son George finds resistance when he attempts to evict the squatters. He laughs at their "fish story," and sends men to fight, but when he meets Mary Aldron, the beautiful ward of the village minister, George offers to accept her plea for him to withdraw if she will be his house guest for ten days. Humbled by Mary's innocence, George gives up his plans for seduction when she repels his advances. Back at the island, Mary is publicly denounced as a harlot by her once admiring friends. When the man she loves, a former derelict she earlier reformed, also turns against her, Mary seeks refuge with George. After a misunderstanding, she returns to the island, but George pursues and fights to save her from being branded with a gold cross. Mary then accepts George's love.
