Prince or Chauffeur? A Story of Newport

The story follows Lieutenant John Armitage, an inventive naval officer who develops a magnetically guided torpedo and conducts tests at Newport, as his technical work becomes entangled with the social life of resort society. A youthful heiress, Anne Wellington, navigates balls, suitors, and family rivalries while a foreign prince's arrival introduces romantic tension and espionage threats tied to the torpedo designs. Encounters range from shipboard experiments and clandestine surveillance to a daring night attack and a climactic ball; the novel balances mechanical suspense, social comedy, and tests of character, resolving personal relationships alongside the fate of the secret invention.