The central conflict arises when the eccentric and dying John Scarborough reveals a legal deception regarding the legitimacy of his heir, throwing his family and creditors into a state of chaotic uncertainty.

John Scarborough, a man of immense wealth and questionable morality, orchestrates a complex scheme to protect his estate from the reach of money-lenders. His two sons, Augustus and Mountjoy, find their futures and inheritances hanging in the balance as their father manipulates the truth of their birth status. The narrative unfolds through a series of intricate legal and social maneuvers, highlighting the tension between personal integrity and the rigid expectations of Victorian society. Trollope employs a third-person omniscient perspective to dissect the motivations of each family member as they navigate the fallout of the patriarch's final, calculated gamble.

Readers and critics often identify this work as one of Trollope's most cynical and structurally daring novels. Discussion frequently centers on the character of John Scarborough, whose defiance of social norms and legal conventions provides a sharp contrast to the more conventional figures in the story. Critics highlight the author's ability to maintain suspense through legal intricacies rather than traditional action sequences. Many readers appreciate the balance between the somber themes of mortality and the biting humor directed at the financial parasites surrounding the family. The novel is widely regarded as a sophisticated critique of the Victorian obsession with lineage and wealth accumulation.