Mr. Crewe's Career

In Ripton, Mr. Hilary Vane stands as the model of success: a wealthy, disciplined lawyer whose influence reaches from town affairs to the railroads that dominate the state. Publicly, he is a sober Republican and defender of established power; privately, he is haunted by his only real weakness, his restless son Austen. Brilliant, charming, and impossible to tame, Austen grows up in a household divided by blame, with Hilary and Euphrasia tracing his rebellion to the opposing bloodlines of stern practicality and free-spirited impulse. At school and college, his gifts make him beloved, but his mischief and defiance lead to scandal, suspension, and finally a shocking decision to abandon convention for the West. As Austen's adventures spread back home through gossip, newspaper clippings, and the irreverent meddling of Victoria Flint, Ripton's social and political world comes into sharper focus. The sharp-tongued editor Paul Pardriff, the ambitious reformer Mr. Crewe, and the railroad magnate Augustus P. Flint all reveal a society ruled by reputation, money, and maneuvering. Against this backdrop, Austen returns to confront his father, while a hidden legal discovery about railroad violations threatens to upend powerful interests and ignite a larger struggle between duty, freedom, and ambition. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.