A solicitor comes to tell Rigsby that an uncle has left him fifty thousand pounds - on condition he can prove he is married. Since Rigsby parted from his actual wife Veronica years ago and she moved away, he persuades Ruth to pose as his 'wife' when the uncle's widow, Aunt Maud, comes to check on his marital status. To confuse matters the real Veronica also shows up but, since he does have a wife, he is allowed to inherit the money. Unfortunately it is all eaten up by his uncle's unpaid taxes.

New lodger Ambrose claims to be a hypnotist and proves it by mesmerising Rigsby into regressing to his childhood - and undressing - in front of Ruth. To make things up to Rigsby, Ambrose hypnotises him into adopting a smooth persona to woo Ruth but she is not impressed. After Ruth has pretended to be hypnotised and chased after Rigsby for a joke, he decides he will do the same to her but the pretence is unmasked when she sticks a hat-pin in his bottom.