We see the detritus of an abandoned camp in South America and a main characters hallucination. Then, the story beings. Tony and Brenda Last, lord and lady, live on his enormous estate with their young son. Tonys not much for parties, and Brenda joins London society, on the arm of a penniless man, John Beaver, a hanger-on at Tonys club. John is encouraged by his entrepreneurial mother, who sees a quid in Tony and Brenda. Brenda and John become lovers, Brenda spends more and more time in London, and Tonys without a clue. Then, bringing things to a head are tragedy, law suits, greed, and what should be a few-months expedition to Brazil. We are each of us merely a handful of dust.