An elderly, crotchety antique dealer finds his orderly life unsettled when a young niece arrives and a series of purchases and deliveries from the country bring curious objects into his shop. His absent but resourceful assistant and a quarrelsome charwoman add to the household tensions, and encounters with local buyers and acquaintances reveal varied social pretensions and petty rivalries. The plot follows the shifting relationships among the dealer, his niece and the town’s characters, using antiques and small domestic crises to supply gentle comedy and close observation of manners.