The story opens with a description of the protagonist, a young man named Nemo. Nemo is the protagonist of the novel, which is set in the fictional town of Highgate in the north of England. Nemo's father is a doctor, and Nemo is very fond of his father. Nemo and his father have been friends since they were children. Nemo has a crush on a girl named Regan, who is also a student at Highgate. Regan is the daughter of a wealthy landowner, and the two have fallen in love with each other. The two decide to go to the country to visit Regan's family.