During a period of illness, Latimer first discovers he is able to read other peoples' minds and see visions of the future. Rather than being a gift, this strange phenomenon increasingly becomes a curse. But the one thing that keeps him going is his love for Bertha. But everything changes when Latimer finally does gain sporadic insight into Bertha's mind... and finds her thoughts are much more sinister than he had anticipated... In this dark novella George Eliot explores clairvoyance, fate and the possibility of life after death.