This is a multi-stranded novel with a strong didactic theme. Oswald, who is studying at Oxford, goes for a night swim and sees a despairing man and his wife, George and Louisa Harcott. George briefly glimpses Oswald and thinks he is a divine messenger sent to prevent him from committing suicide. Oswald leaves them a purse of money secretly, and tries to find out more about them from his Oxford chums.
The narrative then switches to the Harcotts. Harcotts are well-meaning but rather hopeless. They spoil their three children, waste money, and indulge the servants. A side story shows the ruin of Patty, the pretty maid, who is seduced by a gentleman after becoming vain because of the clothes Mrs Harcott has given her. As a result of their extravagance the Harcotts are on the brink of ruin and staying in an apartment owned by a woodcutter and his wife. The back story shows that Harcott's mother did attempt to avert the ruin and has adopted their eldest child, Miriam, but could not do anything more and so has broken with the family. Also, two children have already died from their mother's carelessness. A third becomes dangerously ill and then dies because his mother does not follow the doctor's advice and falls asleep. After the death of the youngest child, the mother-in-law (Mrs Harcott) and Miriam visit again. Miriam is now very pretty and captures the heart of Oswald. Miriam has been very well educated by a Dean who is in love with her grandmother, Mrs Harcott. The Dean and Mrs Harcott eventually marry.
Louisa Harcott is still hopeless. She is called to attend to her father, Mr Ward, who has returned from Jamaica a rich man but has broken his leg. Her father is rather violent and keeps a lot of black servants, including the mercurial Venus who has many extended scenes. It eventually emerges that Venus is Mr Ward's mistress. Louisa lives with her father and enjoys the town life, repeatedly spending lots of money unwisely. Meanwhile George Harcott has taken a religious turn. He is attempting to reform and takes his wild children in hand. He becomes increasingly involved in preaching with his friend Stepney. Some time later, Oswald meets up with Miriam again. He is about to be sent overseas to the embassy in St Petersburg. There is initially some confusion over identities, but soon they are acknowledged lovers although they will have to part for several years. Oswald writes letters, but is gradually being seduced by the fine ladies of court. Miriam forms a friendship with a colonel who has lost his lower legs - he gets false legs, and is made Lord Vittoria by the king in recognition of his service. Miriam realises that she is in love with Vittoria and that it was just a youthful passion for Oswald. A letter from Oswald telling of his disgrace releases Miriam who becomes engaged to Lord Vittoria.
The story then switches to Oswald and then to his brother Henry who is murdered in Ireland. Meanwhile Louisa has spent all Mr Ward's money and he decides to go back to Jamaica to make some more. She is forced to return to the family home in Furzy Hurst, which she very much resents. She becomes ill and in her illness begins to know peace. Miriam and lord Vittoria call in at Furzy Hurst as part of their marriage journey, and Louisa begins to recover. However, she then sees a newspaper reporting that the ship with her father on has foundered. She suffers a brain bleed and dies because she had wished the death of her father so that she could inherit. After her burial, George Harcott is rather strange for some time but eventually recovers and thanks god that he is 'no longer an enthusiast' (v.3, p. 275).

Dialect speech occurs mainly among servants. There are two Oxford servant girls whose speech is marked as dialectal, a set of black servants in London, a Cockney servant girl, and a gardener. In addition, some minor characters such as Dame Fry the woodcutter's wife and a sailor travelling in the coach are nonstandard speakers. Overall, this novel is notable for being more interested in the lives of servants and underlings than many novels of this period, even though the main emphasis is still on the well-to-do.