Verity and Peter Croome have a charming home in the country complete with servants - two elderly retainers by the name of Glimmer, and their daughter Effie. All that is lacking in their lives is money. Their lack of money is now so acute that Verity feels they are living next door to the bankruptcy court. Her one asset is a pearl necklace, and a neighbour called Cornelius suggests that a well-timed burglary might persuade the insurance company to save them from financial disaster; he even implies that he might be willing to undertake the task. Peter, however, has the same idea and in due course the bedroom is found to be ransacked and the police arrive - the only problem is that the pearl necklace is really missing and neither of the would-be burglars is guilty. During the course of a gruelling interrogation by Inspector Halliday, Peter, Verity and Cornelius tie themselves in knots trying to cover up for each other. Just when their imaginations run dry and the inevitable arrest is about to take place a distressed Effie is brought in to confess that she borrowed the necklace for the evening thinking it was of no value. Although the necklace is now returned and the threat of prison has receded they are still without money, but what is that to a fertile brain like Peter's?