Gerald Fitzgerald, Earl of Kildare, whose estates are down-at-heel and out-at-elbows, owing to the improvidence of his ancestors, is known as "the ragged earl." Though creditors press and bailiffs threaten, he meets his problems with a laugh, trusting to a kind providence and his solicitors in Dublin to provide for his future. It had been the plan of Gerald's father that he marry a wealthy cousin, but the young Earl had always thought of marriage as a necessary evil in the life of every man, to be put off as long as possible. He heartily disapproved of a marriage prearranged. Bills have been piling up, however, and when he calls upon his solicitors for a remittance, he is surprised to receive a letter from them, enclosing the sum of twenty-three pounds, which is all that remains of the quarterly rent collection from the estate.