Mr Wray's Cash Box

"Reuben Wray, a retired actor of little note, once worked with the illustrious John Kemble at Drury Lane. He now earns a precarious living teaching elocution. He arrives in Tidbury-on-the-Marsh, accompanied by his grand-daughter Annie and Martin Blunt, his clumsy but good-natured assistant. They had all left Stratford-upon-Avon in a hurry because Mr Wray had made a mask of Shakespeare, his lifelong hero, and believes the authorities are pursuing him. The local Tidbury villains, Benjamin Grimes and Chummy Dick, see the old cash-box in which the mask is concealed and set out to steal it. When they discover there is no money they destroy the plaster cast and escape, leaving Mr Wray demented at the loss of his prized possession. The local Squire, Matthew Colebatch, in whose failed play Mr Wray had once acted, befriends him but, despite the Squire's attentions, he recovers only when Annie and Martin retrieve the original mould which had been left at Stratford and make another mask. They encourage his delusion that the robbery was all a bad dream. The Squire obtains a legal opinion confirming no crime was committed in taking the mask and suggests Mr Wray should manufacture them for a living. Squire Colebatch invites himself for Christmas Dinner at which he persuades Mr Wray to allow Annie and Martin to marry." —<a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="http://www.wilkie-collins.info/books_mr_wray.htm">Wilkie Collins Information Pages</a>