I.ii Witgood tricks an acquaintance of his, the Host of a tavern, into posing as the lady's servant. He tells the Host that she is a rich widow. The Host goes along to see, he thinks, that she remains true to Witgood. The ploy is a way of acquiring the use of the Host's horses so they might make a good show of it in London. The Host believes that if his friend/client Witgood marries a wealthy woman that some of the money will be given to him, the Host, in thanks for his services.

I.iii is our first view of London in the play. We see Lucre, Witgood's uncle, and Hoard quarreling. Their fight is several years old. Lucre apparently gulled a man that Hoard had "set up" for a "fleecing." Hoard has not forgiven the injury. We learn that Hoard has a niece, Joyce, and that Lucre's stepson Sam is a rival for her with one Moneylove. Sam is a clown.

I.iv. finds Witgood and the Host in London, the "widow" safely lodged. They meet Dampit, a loathsome usurer-a "trampler" by his own account. He boasts of his large wealth and his guile in acquiring it.

II.i takes place in Lucre's house. He is still angered from his fight with Hoard, who reminded him of Lucre's swindling of his own nephew Witgood. Lucre rationalizes the theft by saying that this way the money stays all in the family.

The Host enters acting as if he has been dispatched from his mistress the "widow." He pretends not to know Lucre. He has come ostensibly to inquire after Witgood's reputation about the town. He claims that he is asking all of the well-to-do gentlemen that he meets. When Lucre asks why he should be inquiring after Witgood, the Host tells him that Witgood is to marry the rich widow Medler.

(The trick, or so the Host thinks, is to get Lucre to part with a great deal of money in order that Witgood may make a good show to the widow. Actually Witgood is looking to get his lands back, but the double con works both ways. In either case Lucre is persuaded to make his nephew Witgood look like a propertied man in order to bring the widow's wealth into the family. Neither Lucre nor the Host realize there is no rich widow.)

Once the Host leaves, Lucre sends for Witgood. Witgood at first begs to be pardoned, that he cannot come to his uncle. Witgood correctly guesses that this ploy will make Lucre believe that Witgood does indeed stand in good prospects of wealth; only the wealthy dare turn down invitations from rich relatives.

His greed fired, Lucre sends for Witgood again with a most courtly plea for Witgood's company. Witgood comes. Witgood acts as if he is unaware that Lucre ever swindled him. Witgood behaves as if he is a bit simple about financial and property affairs. This convinces Lucre that he is still in the good graces of his nephew. Lucre sets up a subtle test: Witgood should send to his lady to come to them. The idea being that if she comes she is really serious about his nephew. She comes at once, of course. Lucre is satisfied and begins to covet his nephew's prospects. He secretly promises to support Witgood to make him look propertied in the eyes of the widow.

Lucre makes fun of his wife's son, Sam, who has hopes only of marrying Hoard's daughter while Witgood, his own nephew, is going to marry a widow worth £400 per year. Lucre's wife, enraged, plots with her dull son Sam to steal the love of the widow.

II.ii Hoard learns from Moneylove that the rich widow is in town. (Moneylove, despairing of his prospects for Joyce is going to try to win the widow and needs Hoard to support him financially.) Hoard determines to woo the widow himself. He overhears three of Witgood's creditors talking about Witgood's pleasant prospects and their glee over being able to collect their debts from him once he gets the widow's money. This evidence is enough to stoke Hoard's desire for the widow that he has never seen.

III.i The three creditors come to collect from Witgood. He tells them that he does not have the money yet and if they embarrass him before the widow he will lose his prospect. If he loses his prospect he will never get the money, and the creditors will never be paid. Further, when he does get his money, he will have more to spend on their goods. This satisfies them. He further convinces them that he needs money to ensure his success with the widow. They believe that the furtherance of Witgood's fortune furthers their own and each secretly gives him money to finance his courtship, each hoping and believing that he has outdone the other two creditors in Witgood's esteem. But what Witgood really wants is the mortgage to Blackacre, his property, back from his uncle Lucre.

The courtesan/widow tells Witgood that Hoard has joined in her entourage as suitor. Witgood tells her earnestly to marry him if she has a chance, that he is rich and will give her all she wants.

Hoard bribes two of his "spirits," Lamprey and Spitchcock, to tell the widow about what rascals Witgood and his uncle Lucre are. Widow Medler feigns surprise and, pretending to believe their tale, swears she will not marry Witgood but will run away with Hoard instead. She tells Hoard that she has nothing, but Hoard believes that it is not as a true confession but rather a coy ploy of hers to make him swear that he loves her and not her money. He plots with her to steal her away when she has tricked Witgood out of the room. He will then carry her to Cole Harbour and marry her.

III.ii Joyce really loves Witgood, but her father's enmity for Witgood's uncle makes their meeting very difficult. She also fears that the rumors of Witgood and a widow are true and that she has lost him. She receives a letter from him telling her that all is well, that he loves only her. Joyce is content.

In a tavern, the drawer has been bribed by Hoard. He lies in wait with Lamprey and Spitchcock. Witgood and the Host come in with the "widow." The drawer tries to get Witgood upstairs. When this fails, he tells Witgood to go into the kitchen to see what is on the bill of fare. When Witgood leaves, the widow sends the Host back to her rooms to retrieve her wedding ring. Once the Host leaves, Hoard, Spitchcock, and Lamprey enter and run off with the widow. When Witgood comes back and is told by a boy that the widow has been spirited off, he feigns disbelief and anger. The Host returns and Witgood sends him off to look for her-the Host being as gulled as all the rest as to the "widow's" true identity. Lucre enters and learns that his bitter rival has stolen his nephew's rich widow. The Host returns with news that they have flown to Cole Harbour. Off they all go after them.

III.iv finds Dampit, the loathsome usurer, awake at one in the morning, drunk. He is growing infirm and rails against his maid, Audrey. He is a sot, sick and repulsive.

IV.i Cole Harbour. Hoard has just married the widow. Lucre bursts in, not knowing they have married. He tells the widow that he will make Witgood a substantial man by returning his lands to him if she promises not to alter her present condition. She promises to remain as she is (as she is already married she does not lie) until Witgood can be made whole.

IV.ii finds Lucre at Witgood's house. He leaves his friends to watch over Witgood while he runs home to get the mortgage. They tell him that there is hope yet for the widow and him. Lucre returns and returns Witgood the title to his lands.

IV.iii The three creditors learn that Witgood has lost the widow. They have him arrested at once. The Host finds Witgood as the sergeant is dragging him off. Witgood sends a message by him to the "widow."

IV.iv Hoard, newly married, is happy with his wife. He exclaims that "she's worth four hundred a year in her very smock," indicating that he is glad for her even besides her money (a foreshadow that once he learns the truth they may still be happy together.) He hires an entourage of tailor, barber, perfumer, falconer, and huntsman. The Host enters with a letter he claims is a challenge from Witgood, that a pre-contract between the "widow" and Witgood has been breached.

The letter, given to the widow/courtesan, actually tells her of his desperate plight with the creditors. She tells her husband that it is indeed a pre-contract that she once foolishly signed. Hoard wonders if he should pay Witgood a stipend not to make a public scandal of the pre-contract business. The widow tells him rather that Witgood has great debts that, if satisfied, might be enough to make him sign a release. The plan works. Hoard pays off Witgood's creditors, and Witgood signs a worthless release that says he relinquishes all claims on the "widow." Hoard swears undying friendship to Witgood and invites Lucre, by Witgood, to his wedding feast in order to patch up old quarrels. While there, Witgood and Joyce are able to plan to elope.

IV.v finds Dampit flat abed, sickened with alcoholism and possibly dying. He no longer recognizes his associates, and curses them while they are, unbeknownst to him, still at his bedside. They see in him a moral for the downfall of all crafty and loathsome usurers.

V.i Witgood invites Lucre to Hoard's wedding party. Lucre at first refuses, but when Witgood tells Lucre that the "widow" is actually a courtesan and Hoard has been gulled, Lucre readily accepts Hoard's invitation.

V.ii Hoard's wedding party. Hoard's brother, Onesiphorus Hoard enters and recognizes the courtesan. Hoard is astonished, but his wife reminds him that she told him she had nothing before he married her, that it was he pursued her and forced her to marry. Furthermore, by marrying a courtesan, one can never be a cuckold. Hoard orders Witgood and Lucre from the house for the trickery. But Lucre reminds him that he was invited to the party, and Witgood reminds Hoard that Hoard has pledged undying friendship to him before witnesses. The courtesan kneels and pledges fidelity to Hoard. Witgood, who has secretly married Joyce, kneels and swears temperance. All is forgiven, the party goes in to sup, and the play ends happily.