Arnold Bennett

The novel charts the rise and rise of Edward Henry (Denry) Machin from the day he cheated to get into the local grammar school until he becomes the youngest mayor of his town in the Potteries. On the way he becomes involved in several amusing and audacious schemes which earns him the title of "The Card", a "character" who amuses those who witness his actions.

Anna and her half-sister Agnes grow up unloved by their strict father, Ephraim Tellwright, a wealthy miser and a rigid Methodist. Anna dutifully allows her father to manage her inheritance, a fortune that attracts a marriage proposal from Henry Mynors, a religion teacher with business acumen. The engaged couple plan to live in the former home of Titus Price, Ephraim's delinquent tenant who committed suicide. Long accustomed to being dominated by her father and her fianc , Anna is tragically unable to act on her long-suppressed love for Price's timid son Willie, who kills himself in despair.