Vincent, the lazy son of a wealthy father, travels to the country in an attempt to clean up his act. There he meets Kitty Trent, and he offers to marry her. His intention is to hold a fake ceremony, but Kitty's childhood sweetheart, Tom Wilson, finds out about this scheme and threatens Vincent at gunpoint to make the wedding a real one. Vincent does, but afterwards goes on seeing other women, neglecting his wife and, later, baby.

Thinking he has killed his friend Paul in a jealous rage, David Bergman flees his native Russia; becomes a successful lawyer in New York; and loses touch with his penniless family, who have followed him to the US.