John Glayde, one of the master minds of America, becomes oblivious to the claims of his wife, Muriel, on his affection, in his mad strife for power. This finally results in Muriel's rebellion, and she accepts an invitation from some friends to go to Paris. There her beauty attracts the attention of Trevor Larode, who begs a sitting. The intimacy of the studio leads to Larode's falling in love with Muriel much to his mother, Lady Larode's, dismay. She wires Glayde to come on in order to prevent a scandal and he, made suddenly alive to his peril, drops his work and hastens to Paris, where he tells Larode that his calls on Mrs. Glayde must cease. The affair has gone too far, however, and Muriel and young Larode elope that night. They are overtaken by Glayde, who, in his masterful way is about to put an end to the artist, when, in a powerful scene, Muriel tells him it is not love, but pride in John Glayde's honor that makes him wish to kill, and he is crushed with the realization that he has forever lost her love. And the play ends with him sadly realizing that in gaining power he has lost that which he most needed to enjoy it.