A rakish first-person narrator, ruined by gambling and implicated in a fatal duel, confronts legal and financial ruin and embarks on desperate, often comic attempts to outwit creditors and preserve his liberty. A marriage and an ill-starred wedding tour set the scene for episodic adventures that include imprisonment, public humiliation, encounters with eccentric acquaintances, and repeated twists of fortune. The narrative mixes brisk adventure and light satire of social manners, balancing romantic entanglements, witty observation, and resourceful improvisation as the protagonist and his companions negotiate misfortune with irreverent humor.