Oswald Sweeney's wife, Ellen, has left home unexpectedly. She has been gone for five days now from their home in Harrow, which she left on her birthday and their third wedding anniversary, and Oswald is worried and wants her found. He didn't go to the police because he didn't want to risk it getting into the newspapers. In his opinion, their marriage has been happy, except for the loss of their son last year. But Ellen has known a great deal of unhappiness in her life.