In which a young and determined mechanical engineering student, Milt Daggett, immerses himself rigorously in his studies at the university, navigating a world of privileged classmates with a careful mix of detachment and admiration, all the while harbouring a quiet, unspoken longing. As he attends a somewhat awkward but genteel brunch with Claire Boltwood and her acquaintances, he finds himself a solitary figure amidst the gentle bustle of social ritual, caught between the rigours of his new life and the elusive presence of the woman he admires.