In which a crowded London reception buzzes with the curious interplay of aristocrats and celebrities, amidst lively discussions and the uncanny art of palmistry practised by a peculiar little man, whose reading unsettles the otherwise composed Lord Arthur Savile. Troubled by a shadowy revelation, Lord Arthur wanders the city's nocturnal streets in a fevered contemplation of destiny, fate, and the inscrutable designs that might govern a gentleman's life.