At the reading of her uncle's will, Honoria Spavin, a spinster lady, learns that his entire fortune is to be left to her on condition that she marry her cousin, Benvenuto Torrini, a young man who is not an Italian, but an American, living in America. If she refuses to marry Ben, all the fortune goes to him, but if he refuses to marry her, she is to get the money. Ben happens to be already engaged to Ella Cunningham, and when he receives a copy of the will, together with the pleasing news that Honoria, who has never seen him, is coming from England on the next steamer, he agitatedly shows it to Ella. She thinks up a plan, and after securing the assistance of their friends, Ben and Ella make up to resemble Italians of the laboring class. Ben meets Honoria at the pier carrying a spade, hoping to make such a show of himself that she will be disgusted and refuse to marry him. He makes a scene right at the dock which would have disheartened most women, but she has a keen eye for that fortune. He takes her to a restaurant to "get something to eat," and gets them both put out by his antics. At Ella's home, Ben introduces his fiancée as "his sister." Ben gives her a drink of vinegar, pretending it is wine, and at the dinner table every proper procedure of table etiquette is broken by Ben, his "sister" and their friends. Honoria finally announces to Ben in no uncertain tones that she can stand it no longer and that she would rather give up the fortune than marry him. She then stalks majestically out, and hurling off their wigs, the whole party give vent to whoops of delight. Poor Honoria has another sea-sick journey back to dear old England.