A Prince of Sinners

After a successful election meeting in Medchester, young political agent Kingston Brooks is exhausted and still sorting letters. His supporter Mr. Bullsom takes him home for supper, bringing him into the Bullsom family's brightly furnished drawing room. Brooks has begun to notice a gap between candidate Henslow's heartfelt public promises and his casual private talk about working voters. E. Phillips Oppenheim builds this English social novel around political ambition, personal judgment and the habits of people who value influence.

Conversations among Lord Arranmore's visitors bring a different set of pressures into view. Arranmore struggles with boredom, while Sydney Molyneux worries about Brooks's standing and his possible closeness to Sybil Caroom. Questions of money, family background and marriage shape their talk. The scenes offer readers an account of how public ideals and private calculations meet, with character revealed through arguments, social visits and small exchanges of dialogue.