Also published as The Transformation of Philip Jettan. — This is the light-hearted story of a rough country lord, a foppish dandy and the beautiful Cleone, over whom the men quarrel. The hero, Philip Jettan, goes to Paris to learn the manners of a desirable suitor, and suddenly Cleone discovers that she has rivals. — To win her hand, he must become what he despises...

Cleone Charteris's exquisite charms have made her the belle of the English countryside. But Cleone yearns for a husband who is refined, aristocratic and who is as skilled with his wit as he is with his dueling pistols... Everything Philip Jettan is not. As much as she is attracted to the handsome squire, Cleone finds herself dismissing Philip and his rough mannerisms.

With his father's encouragement, Philip departs for the courts of Paris, determined to acquire the social graces and airs of the genteel -- and convince Cleone that he is the man most suited for her hand. But his transformation may cost him everything, including Cleone...