Mary Quinn's new assignment sends her into the building site of the clock tower for the Houses of Parliament dressed as an impoverished young boy, evoking her own childhood memories of fear, hunger, and constant want. As she insinuates herself into the confidence of several persons of interest, she encounters others in desperate situations and struggles to make a difference without exposing -- or losing -- her identity. Mary's second adventure offers a fictional window into the fascinating, if grimy, underbelly of Victorian London.