Young Archie Bingham, the son of Sir Archibald Bingham, an eminent British barrister, discovers that his father is keeping a mistress and he's horrified. Bingham's life soon becomes motivated by a passion for revenge against his father, which leads to his own downfall. His destructive behavior necessitates him emigrating from England, where he practiced law, to America. There, in time, he becomes a New York Assistant District Attorney.