Silas Marner is solitary and anti-social, made so by his bitter life. One evening, he finds a golden-haired little girl asleep in his living room and this awakens his feelings of tenderness. He decides to raise her and becomes a wonderful, caring father. Eppie grows up, a happy and dutiful daughter. But her parentage is eventually revealed and Eppie faces a tough decision. Should she leave the only father she has ever known?