Arthur Charles Prohack, a modest Treasury official, receives an unexpected inheritance and is thrust into a new social standing. He and his family must confront shifting values and desires triggered by sudden wealth. His wife Eve and his children each harbor distinct hopes and tensions around the newfound fortune. Prohack grapples with how to manage the money responsibly while preserving his sense of self. Through this upheaval he starts to understand that wealth and status do not automatically bring happiness.