Stolen Idols

On a riverboat in China, a pirate holds a young Englishman captive, Gregory Ballaston. He defiled an ancient temple, and stole two mysterious idols which may contain a hidden treasure. One of the idols represents the Body, and all of the corruption and evil of Mankind, the other represents the Soul, and all that is good. Ballaston has stolen the idols to bring back to England, where his noble family has become impoverished, despite large holdings of land, and many wonderful works of art. Rescued by a traveling Chinese merchant, Wu Ling, of the wealthy trading firm, Johnson and company, Ballaston is brought back to Pekin, where he meets Mr Endacott. Endicott is a partner in the trading firm, a former professor of Oriental Art and language at Oxford, and the uncle of the beautiful young American girl, Miss Claire Endacott. They travel to England where the plot unfolds on the Ballaston Estates.