Little Nell Trent's childhood is over. Her grandfather's mind is failing, his dark secret saddens and distracts him, and he has nobody to care for him but Nell.

The grotesque Daniel Quilp is causing trouble. What plans does he hatch with Sampson and Sally Brass? What use can he make of the foolish Dick Swiveller? Is Nell's friend Kit a match for Quilp's villainous mind? Nell and her grandfather must disappear or be separated, so they begin their lives as beggars. When a mysterious gentleman arrives in London, determined to track them down, it because a race against time and against Quilp. Can little Nell keep her grandfather safe? Who will protect her? Will the mysterious man find them before it's too late?