 In the early 19th century, Sir Humphrey J. Orford informs his fiancée, Elisa Minden, that twenty years previously he was married but that his wife died at the age of 19. Orford is something of a scholar and while visiting his study, Elisa finds a lady s silk petticoat that is obviously under repair and a gruesome painting. She is immediately frightened and wonders if she has discovered a hidden side to Orford s personality. As she explores her new home and learns more about her husband-to-be, she discovers that his first wife was unfaithful and that Orford had arranged for her lover to be hanged. On their wedding day, she makes an incredible discovery.