The novel opens with a letter from Mr. Jarndyce to his daughter-in-law, Miss Freckles. The two of them have just returned from a trip to the Galapagos Islands, where they met a "stranger atorphan" who had come to live with them. Mr.Jarndyce expresses his gratitude to the stranger for his kind words and for his concern for the welfare of the child. He also expresses his hope that the child will grow up to be a member of his family.