The narrative follows Wilfrid Courtenay, a romantic English free-lance, who becomes entangled in Russian court intrigue after befriending Prince Ouvaroff. He confronts conspiracies surrounding the imperial succession, missing and recovered documents, regicidal plots, duels and abductions, and a mysterious scheme by a doctor that causes amnesia. A princess at the center of succession disputes faces romantic conflict as loyalties shift, Baranoff advances his ambitions, and schemes culminate in violent confrontations, repentance, and a final reconciliation that settles personal and political claims.