A Simpleton

Charles Reade's novel 'A Simpleton' tells the story of Dr. Christopher Staines, an intelligent man who learns to appreciate the qualities of his seemingly naive wife, Rosa Lusignan, whom everyone calls "the simpleton." After struggling to make ends meet, Staines pretends to be dead to allow Rosa to collect his life insurance money. Unscrupulous Reginald Falcon tries to win Rosa over by faking the kidnapping of her son—can Staines return from the dead in time to save his wife from Falcon's schemes?