Nicholas Bracewell befriends a young beggar who is trying to eke out a
living as a counterfeit crank, pretending to have spectacular epileptic
fits in order to get money from gullible bystanders. When the beggar is
murdered inside Bridewell, Nicholas has to pose as a beggar himself in
order to get inside the notorious institution so that he can solve the
crime. Counterfeiting of all kinds is exposed.