Norah and Magdalen, the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Vanstone, find themselves disinhertired and stigmatized after the sudden death of their parents, when they discover that they were born out of wedlok. Their parents eventually got married but failed to rewrite the will on time. Due to this, their father's inheritance goes to their uncle, who is not willing to share it. Norah accepts the situation and tries to find her own way in the world. However, the revelious and defiant Magdalen will do whatever it takes to get back wat is rightfully hers, even if this involves disguise, deceit and self-transformation. Wilkie Collins shows the existing gap between justice and law through the most unconventional of Victorian heroines.