The Miser's Daughter: 12/20,Randulph and Hilda dancing in the Rotunda in Ranelagh Gardens

This print shows the scene in which Randulph and the miser's daughter Hilda, having met at the Ranelagh Pleasure Gardens, (illustrated in another print) are now shown dancing in the Rotunda, the principal place for such entertainment. Brilliantly illuminated the theatrical spectacle is signified by the harlequin figures dotted among the dancers.

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.