In The Merry Widower, George Muncy, a seemingly ordinary man, undergoes a startling transformation after acquiring a music box that plays a captivating waltz. The story opens with George's wife, Ethel, expressing her frustration over his increasingly bizarre behavior. George, who has recently taken to dressing in extravagant clothing and making grandiose promises, dismisses her concerns with an air of superiority. He insists that he has important matters to attend to in London, leaving Ethel bewildered and worried about their financial situation. Their marriage, already strained, becomes a battleground of misunderstandings and unspoken fears.