After a sermon from Parson Flinch on the dangers of worldly lusts, Fenton Babblewick finds himself smitten by the exquisite charms of Miss Lucinda Bluntstone. However, before any progress can be made Fenton must satisfy the terms and conditions of Lucinda's formidable mother which includes strict stipulations concerning the long-suffering Augustus Snipe - will this prove the end of an enduring master/servant relationship?