The Miser's Daughter: 1/20,The Miser Discovering the loss of the Mortgage Money

This print shows the scene in which Scarve discovers th athe maorgage money which he has been hoarding is missing. His horror is clearly conveyed by his looks and outstretched bony fingers, accentuated by his central position in the composition. Again Cruikshank captures some fine detail by the carving on the furniture outside his strongroom and the delicately drawn key in the chest.

The Miser's Daughter is a novel by William Harrison Ainsworth published in 1842. Set in the eighteenth century it is a historical romance which tells the story of Randulph Crew's attempts to marry the daughter of a miser called Scarve. It was illustrated by the prolific caricature artist George Cruikshank (1792-1878). Intertwined with the main plot are various strands which deal with aspects of London society at that time, for instance settlement of estates and wills.