Collection of ten short stories set within the connecting narrative of 'The Queen of Hearts. Dedicated to Emile Forgues. 'The Queen of Hearts is the school nickname of Jessie Yelverton who arranges to stay for six weeks with her elderly guardian, Griffith, a retired lawyer. Griffith lives with his two brothers, Owen the clergyman, and Morgan the doctor, in an isolated house in South Wales. Griffith's son, George, is in love with Jessie and the three brothers set out to delay her departure for ten days so that George can propose on his return from the Crimean war. In a kind of Arabian Nights story-telling, the three brothers draw on their professional experiences to entertain their young guests with a different story each evening: