Set in the self-satisfied village of Fairbridge, New Jersey, the novel examines the quiet rivalries and ambitions that simmer beneath polite society. Figures such as the aspiring Mrs. Wilbur Edes and the enigmatic Alice Mendon move through a world proud of its narrow traditions. The opening vividly portrays a town blind to its limits, as social clubs and subtle judgments shape identity, desire, and restrained conflict.