Oxford University, 1890. Babbs Babberley finds himself skating on thin ice as trouble pile ups from a series of comic mishaps: he accidentally strikes Mr. Redcliffe with a cricket ball, spills tea on him, and in a frantic chase tumbles down steps, unintentionally triggering a fire bell. When the dean combs through Babbs’s record, expulsion seems all but certain, grounded in a formal rule that awards a degree only after 15 years. Babbs protests with a stubborn wit, insisting he’s still in his 10th year and promising that his friends, Charley Wyckham and Jack Chesney, will back up his story about the fire bell. The air crackles with a mix of mischief and high-spirited bravado as the boys juggle友情, flirtation, and a looming penalty.
Charley Wyckham, the earnest lover of Kitty Verdun, and Jack Chesney, a devoted pursuer of Amy Spettigue, carry their own romantic plans. Charley learns that his wealthy Brazilian aunt, Donna Lucia d'Alvadorez, who Charley has never met, is coming to visit. The mood brightens as the trio arranges a luncheon with Kitty and Amy to introduce the famous aunt, hoping a fortune might sweeten their loves. Donna Lucia’s solicitor, Hilary Babberley, reveals to Donna Lucia—not yet named in public—that her supposed nephew Charley has fallen for Amy Spettigue, while in reality Charley is the one who loves Kitty. The plan is delicate: Donna Lucia will visit under cover, disguising herself as “Mrs. Beverly Smythe” to avoid the awkward truth of her identity, and Babbs will be her escort. The intrigue thickens as the men scramble to keep the masquerade intact while protecting the girls’ reputations and the finances at stake.
The tension ramps up as charmed scheming blends with family interest. Sir Francis Chesney, Charley’s father, arrives bearing debts that threaten the Chesney finances for years to come. The notion surfaces that Sir Francis might marry Donna Lucia to secure a swift financial fix, a prospect both risky and tempting. He agrees to meet Donna Lucia, ignorant of the true identity waiting to unfold. Meanwhile, Spettigue—the stern guardian who controls the girls’ futures—sets strict boundaries to keep suitors away and preserve the salary that accompanies his charges’ lives. When Charley’s aunt—or so everyone believes—appears, Spettigue’s initial suspicion gives way to a race for wealth and influence as he learns that Donna Lucia is indeed rich.
Act II accelerates the deception. Sir Francis resolves to propose to Donna Lucia for money, while Jack and Charley press Babbs to gently refuse the elder suitor on their behalf. Babbs complies, letting Sir Francis accept the apparent agreement, a small victory in the tangled web. Then the real Donna Lucia arrives, and Babbs—still in his masculine disguise as Donna Lucia—presents the letter of introduction with a wink of misdirection. Mrs. Smythe, the playful disguise of Donna Lucia, flirts with Babbs and pretends a fondness for age that’s clearly calculated to test the ruse. The tension peaks as the lovers push toward a resolution that will require Spettigue’s consent, and Babbs hopes the ruse will buy them time and blessing.
Act III culminates in a dinner where the truth edges toward eruption. Mrs. Smythe—Donna Lucia’s alter ego—exposes the gaps in Donna Lucia’s Brazilian knowledge, her supposed coffee-and-don Pedro heritage, and the missing background that should anchor such a cosmopolitan identity. In private, Mrs. Smythe confides that she has known Babbs’s ruse for hours, but the room remains unaware of the full extent of the deception. The moment of revelation arrives when Babbs, dressed as Donna Lucia, secures Spettigue’s consent by presenting the forged letter, only to be knocked into the truth when a statue snags his wig, exposing the disguise. The letter’s validity collapses; Spettigue declares it void because it was addressed to Donna Lucia d’Alvadorez, not the real Donna Lucia in disguise. The real Donna Lucia steps forward to reveal her identity and to reclaim control of her fortune, making it clear that the letter’s fate lies with her. With the truth uncovered, Donna Lucia declares how the financial arrangements will be handled going forward, and Charley jokes that the masquerade may force him to address his old guardian as an uncle rather than an aunt, prompting a warm, rueful exchange about family bonds and the twists of love.
In the end, the farce resolves into a gentler, wiser note: love triumphs, money matters realign, and the participants emerge with a clearer sense of who they are and who they will become. The interplay of romance, deception, and social expectations is tempered by goodwill, reminding everyone that family ties—and a little luck—can steer even the most tangled plans toward a happier ending.
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