Warwickshire, England. Warriner and his neighbor, Sir Arthur Stanton, become bitter enemies. Warriner goes on a hunting trip and in climbing over the fence dividing the two homes his gun accidentally goes on and he is killed. Despite the fact that the shooting proved accidental, Tom Warriner believes his father was murdered by Sir Arthur and swears to avenge his death. Years later, in London, on the occasion of Harry Stanton's twenty-first birthday, Sir Arthur wains Harry that drink was the besetting sin of the Stantons, and Harry promises to be guided by his advice. Grace Lisle is Sir Arthur's ward and prospective daughter-in-law, and her brother, Fred, is Harry's pal. Tom Warriner, now known as Tom Drake, is proprietor of a London gambling house. He is assisted in his work by Sarah Banks, an adventuress, who poses as his sister. Fred becomes infatuated with Sarah and when she pleads with him for a loan of money he gives her lodge funds entrusted to his care. Harry locates Fred's haunt, and becomes deeply infatuated with Sarah. As lime goes on Harry takes Sarah as his wife. He is now a heavy drinker, and his degradation has been helped by Tom. Fred informs Sir Arthur of his loan to Sarah who refuses to give the money back to him. While Fred and Sir Arthur are questioning Sarah why she refuses to give up the money, Harry comes in in an intoxicated condition. Sir Arthur learns that Sarah is his son's wife and the shock is so great that he has to be assisted home by Fred. Years later Fred Lisle, now a clergyman, and Grace persuade Sir Arthur, who has steadily fallen in his health as the result of his son's act, to go to the Riviera for a rest. On the Riviera, Harry, Count Lanski, Tom and Ikey (a bookmaker) spend their time gambling until Harry loses all his money, the Count being the winner. Sarah, anxious for more money, starts a flirtation with the Count. She upbraids Harry for not having any money for her and he is about to seek solace in drink when he meets Grace for the first time since he left home. She begs him to stop drinking. The Count and Tom see her consoling Harry. He promises Grace not to drink. Worried over the money he owes the Count, Tom resorts to trickery in wiping out his indebtedness. He informs Harry that Sarah is going to elope with the Count. Words follow between Harry and the Count with the result a duel is fought between them. Harry loads only one pistol, and arranges that the Count should pick the empty one. The Count is killed and Tom reveals his identity to Harry, telling him that he will swear he (Harry) killed the Count. Ikey, who has witnessed the shooting, forces Tom to inform the crowd that the Count committed suicide. In London Sir Arthur learns that Harry is in the city and a search is made for him. Polly and Adolph, formerly servants in Drake's gambling house, are now married and conduct a public house. Mrs. Sanders quarrels with her husband, Bill, for spending money for liquor instead of caring for the children. Bill is stopped in his abuse of his wife by Grace and Lisle. In the crowd that has gathered are Sarah and Tom. Lisle questions them as to Harry's whereabouts but they plead ignorance. Harry is working as a night watchman in an effort to rehabilitate himself. Tom and Sarah bribe Sanders to get Harry to drink. They succeed in getting him to drink again. Ikey discovers where Harry is working and notifies Grace. Harry is discharged for intoxication and Sanders takes his place. Sarah learns that Grace is coming to take Harry home. She bargains with Sanders to spoil Grace's beauty by throwing vitriol in her face. Grace finds Sanders (who has fallen asleep) in Harry's place and is about to awaken him when she is prevented by Sanders' child, who volunteers to lead Grace to the overseer for Harry's new address. Sarah is furious that her fiendish plot has failed and shakes Sanders, who wakes up bewildered and throws the vitriol in her face by mistake. Ikey takes Harry to Polly and Adolph's lodging house. Tom, disguised, follows Harry. The police arrest Sanders. Harry, crazed with drink, starts raving. He attacks Tom and after a violent fight throws him out of a window. Some time elapses and we find Mrs. Sanders taking care of Harry at his father's home. Sir Arthur forgives Harry. Harry asks Grace to marry him when she is divorced, but Grace and her brother point out to him that it is his duty to save his wife from further sin. Lisle has found Sarah, whose face is horribly disfigured, and Tom, who is recovering from a broken arm, living in a miserable garret. Ikey, meanwhile, has struck it rich and when approached by Tom for a loan he gives him money to take him to America. Tom decides to desert Sarah. Sarah discovers his motive and pleads with him not to leave her. She grabs the money and they have a fearful fight and Tom kills her. He is arrested and later dies in prison. Harry and Grace are married.