Mr. Crewe's Career

In Ripton, the self-made Honourable Hilary Vane stands as a pillar of Republican respectability, legal power, and railroad influence, yet his greatest trial is private: his brilliant, unruly son, Austen. Raised between the stern order of Camden Street and the freer spirit inherited from Sarah Austen, Austen grows into a charming, restless, and gifted young man who wins loyalty wherever he goes while repeatedly colliding with discipline. His years at college end in scandal, and his later flight westward only widens the gulf between him and his father, even as he sends home small tokens of affection. When Austen's name returns to Ripton through a newspaper clipping and rumors of a violent altercation, Hilary is forced to confront the moral problem of welcoming a prodigal son. His homecoming becomes public knowledge through the lively, independent Victoria Flint, daughter of railroad magnate Augustus P. Flint, whose own world of wealth, ambition, and social maneuvering mirrors Ripton's power structure. Austen's return unsettles old loyalties and sparks fresh intrigue, especially when businessman Humphrey Crewe seeks his legal help and Victoria meets him with wit, defiance, and unmistakable interest. The result is a sharp, socially alert novel of family conflict, class rivalry, and the first stirrings of romance. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.