A Polish boy runs away from his unkind foster mother in Edinburgh and finds a new home in a lakeside village for orphans of all nations, after encountering trouble through his innocent implication in a robbery.

Joseph Avedon is a thirty-something loser who dreams of being a great artist, but he has no talent. When forced to confront his failures in art and love, hallucinations and self delusion begin tear apart his wannabe life.

Sir Charles Hare, a young Irish baronet, gambles his all on one of his horses at Ascot. But the horse is 'pulled', and Sir Charles is forced to sell his Irish estate. His aunt, however, has some surprises in store for him.