In Phineas Finn, the second of the Palliser novels, Trollope balances the rival demands of public and private life, entangling political ambitions with the experiences of love.

Phineas Finn, an irresistible but penniless young Irish barrister enters Parliament and comes to London leaving behind him an Irish sweetheart, Mary Flood-Jones. In London, Phineas wins friends on all sides and is admitted to high society. However, he also falls more-or-less in love, first with politically-minded Lady Laura Standish and then with Violet Effingham and finally with wealthy widow Madame Max Goesler...