The story introduces the Montague family of mother, son and daughter who relocated from Mississippi to metropolitan New York after the father's death. Their father was in the union army and married a southern lady, and lived in Mississippi, raising his family there on an estate. The elder son of the family, Allan Montague, is put up at an expensive hotel with the rest of the family by his younger brother, Oliver Montague. When the poor are subjected to injustice, Allan is the first to fight for them. But as he moves forward with his lawsuit, he realizes that the people he's fighting with are the same people who rule New York. He must be clever and careful to win in this pursuit of justice. The novel contains detailed descriptions of the high society and their lifestyles, activities, assets, and wealth. Its main aim is to shed light on richer communities' cruelty and injustice, focusing on all of its characters and their struggles.