The novel begins with a letter from Lady Howard to her friend, the Reverend Arthur Villars. In the letter, Lady Howard says that Madame Duval (the grandmother of Evelina) is going to visit England to see her granddaughter Evelina again. In his reply, Reverend Villars tells her about Evelina's history. 18 years ago, Mme. Duval had been very angry with her daughter Caroline, Evelina's mother, when she ran away with Sir John Belmont. After they had married, Sir John Belmont burnt up the marriage papers, and said that it was the same as if they had never married. Unhappy, she went back to Reverend Villars, who had brought her up, as he now brought up Evelina. There, she gave birth to Evelina, and died. Reverend Villars is afraid that Mme. Duval might make Evelina die shamefully like her mother Caroline.