The narrative follows an elderly banker ruined by a cousin's fraudulent railway scheme and his son, who rejects business to pursue writing, creating domestic friction; as the father recounts his losses and hopes his son will embrace commerce, the son reacts with aversion to money and discomfort with his father's financial talk. Social episodes involve the son's tentative efforts at society conversation and interactions with acquaintances whose manners and advice complicate relationships. Themes include the clash between practical ambition and artistic inclination, consequences of financial ruin on reputation and family life, and the delicate negotiations of sentiment and social expectation in a constrained middle-class setting.