Agnes, lost in thought walking by the river at Durham, is hailed by Charles from a rowing boat, and persuades her to join him for tea with his brother Reg. Agnes' sister, Jessie, elopes with a docker, and her father is furious. During a confrontation, he is shot dead, and Agnes inherits the family business. Charles plans to marry Agnes, but his parents are determined to stop him marrying below his class. He moves to shabby accommodation to be near her, but the dampness gives him pneumonia.
