cccIt'sthemid-nineteenthcentury.AdultsiblingsFelixYoungandEugeniaMunsterwerebornandraisedinEuropeandhaveasomewhatbohemianlifestylereflectiveoftheirtravelsthroughoutEurope.Felix,whohaslittlemoney,isinterestedinpaintingandthearts.Eugeniaisabaronessbymarriage.TheydecidetotraveltoNewEnglandtomeettheirmaternaluncleandtheirthreecousins,theWentworths,forthefirsttime,theWentworthswholivejustoutsideofBoston.TheWentworthsarehighlypuritanical,theuncleinparticularwholookstoaneighbor,Mr.Brand,toprovideamoralcompasstohisthreechildren,especiallytheshyGertrude,whoMr.Brandwantstomarry.TheWentworthsaresomewhatsuspiciousastothereasonfortheirrelatives'visit,butnonethelesstheuncleputsthemupinaneighboringhouseontheirproperty.WhileFelixenjoysthecompanyofhiscousins-especiallyGertrude-EugeniaisabitmorestandoffishandcognizantoftherealreasonfortheirtriptotheUnitedStates.ForEugenia,anotheroftheiruncle'scousins,aMr.RobertActon,mayjustfitthebillrelatedtohergoal,whichconcernshercurrentmarriageandfinancialsecurity.