Dorothy Cruickshank is secretly in love with Captain Westwood, whom her parents have never seen, and they plan to elope. Her father, an old sea captain, has quarreled with a Professor Jogram, following a public denunciation of a book Jogram has written on navigation.

Franklyn Starr, a talented and wealthy young musician, suffers a double misfortune in the sudden loss of his hearing and in the death of his Mother to whom he is deeply attached. He loses his generous, joyous nature and transforms into a gloomy and despondent misanthrope.

Peggy Ainslee, the daughter of a wealthy broker, tires of the empty life of society, and determines on a mission of charity and uplift in the poor quarters of New York City

Marian Delmar, whose father has died without an estate, believes he has left her a settlement. The film follows Marian's journey as she navigates this belief and its potential consequences.