Richard Hall is a successful writer; his wife, Alice is interested in pursuing a career as a singer. She meets musical agent James Hamilton, who arranges an opera engagement with Rimini, an impresario. Hall quarrels with his wife over this and they separate, with Hall taking their daughter Grace. When Hall attempts to reconcile with his wife, he finds Hamilton with her. Enraged, he kills Hamilton and is sentenced to life in prison. Twenty years later, Hall is paroled. His wife has had a successful career as a singer, but her best years are behind her. She attempts to reconcile with Grace, but her daughter, now a widow with a child, refuses. Grace now works as a secretary for a philanthropist named John Reed, who wants to marry her. Unable to find work, Hall applies to Reed for help and recognizes Grace there. When Hall is arrested again, he refuses help, because he feels he has come between Grace and Reed.