A house in the heart of London, a couple of birds in an old cage and favorite paintings have long become the main joys in the life of Harriet Baxter. And only memories occasionally disturb her peace: ancient salons where young artists crowded forty years ago, paintings that awakened her imagination, and, finally, Ned Gillespie, whose brilliant paintings will never gain fame. But even when the memories become painful, Harriet cannot banish them - after all, no one in the whole world knows the secret of Ned Gillespie and no one can tell his story more truthfully than she does.