William Ashe, an up and coming politician, impulsively marries Kitty, a young, flighty and strange girl who, far from supporting her husband in his career, instead does exactly as she pleases. The book follows the course of their marriage to a rather unexpected conclusion.

Delia Blanchflower's father has died, leaving her a considerable inheritance. However, she has become caught up in the militant wing of the Suffragist movement and has come under the spell of Gertrude Marvell, one of the leaders of the movement. Because he strongly disapproves, Delia's father has put his money in trust until she is older. He has appointed an old friend - Mark Winnington - as the main trustee. Against the background of the Suffragist movement, the book follows the developing relationships between Delia, Gertrude and Mark Winnington.