Masterpiece Classic With the inspiration of Joe Astell, the razing of the squalid Shacks and development of modern new housing is brought to a vote, in spite of Robert Carne's disapproval. But it comes too late for the Holly family, and the gifted s... (more)tudent Lydia must give up her talents and dreams. For his part, Robert is unable to imagine a future for South Riding precisely because he is a prisoner of the past, and the secret agony of his guilt is revealed. Financial woes compound Robert's troubles, and he ventures to Manchester in the hopes of heading off the bank from repossessing his ancestral home. Sarah, on her way to visit her sister, has also stopped in Manchester for the night. A chance meeting leads to events for which neither is prepared, and a respite from the messy collisions of life's complexities.