Paragot, a loveable Bohemian and celebrated bon vivant, adopts a young urchin from the London slums and gives him an adventurous education, travelling through Europe in a band of musicians. Paragot, however, has a dark romantic secret which threatens to change their lives. William John Locke was a British novelist, dramatist and playwright, best known for his short stories. His works have been made into 24 motion pictures, the most recent of which was Ladies in Lavender, filmed in 2004 and starring Dame Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. Probably the most famous of Locke's books adapted to the screen was the 1918 Pickford Film Corporation production of Stella Maris starring Mary Pickford. In addition, four of his books were made into Broadway plays, two of which Locke wrote and were produced by Charles Frohman.