In Anthony Trollope's classic, 'The Warden,' the gentle Septimus Harding's peaceful life is shattered. As the warden of a charitable almshouse, his substantial income is publicly questioned by a young reformer, John Bold. This sparks a national scandal, thrusting Harding into a painful moral dilemma over his right to the church's funds. The conflict is deeply complicated by the burgeoning romance between Harding's devoted daughter and his primary antagonist, creating a poignant exploration of conscience, duty, and the harsh realities of public life and reform in Victorian England.