While in a philanthropic meeting promoted by the millionaire Horace Woodruff Vendig, the guest Vic Lambdin tells the history of the beginning and end of his friendship with the host to his date Mallory Flagg. When they are boys, Horace is a poor boy from a dysfunctional family and Vic's best friend that saves the wealthy girl Martha Burnside from drowning in a river. Horace is adopted by the rich Burnside family and later sent to Harvard and gets engaged to Martha, for whom Vic has a crush. When the ambitious Horace meets the wealthier Susan Duane that belongs to a more influent family, he calls off his engagement with Martha and moves to New York with Susan continuing his social raise. Later he meets the shark Buck Mansfield and seduces his young wife Christa to profit in business, leading to tragic consequences.