The Warden

The Warden (1855) by Anthony Trollope is one of the charming series of loosely connected novels set in Barsetshire. This is the first book to appear in the series, but may be read as a standalone work, and enjoyed on its own merits.
A man of sterling character, the kind and elderly Mr. Septimus Harding is the warden of Hiram's Hospital, an institution reliant on an ancient charitable bequest in order to sustain itself. When an investigation into the charity is led by John Bold, a young man who also happens to be in love with the warden's daughter Eleanor, the result is an unusual series of events and a noble act of conscience.