During their honeymoon in Venice, Lord Montberry dies of pneumonia. His last days passed in seclusion: the maid had left, the servant disappeared under unclear circumstances; only his young wife tended to the sick man. The third person in the old rich palace was the wife’s brother—a card sharper and an alchemist—chasing the philosopher’s stone. Lord Montberry’s inheritance was ten thousand pounds, which insured his life. The doctor and the commission confirm death from illness. But then why does no member of the Montberry family find peace in this palace?