Edward Burr is a famous novelist who manipulates the people around him as though they are characters in his stories – he finds their weak spots and exploits every angle he can think of just to gauge their reactions and incorporate them in his work. Charles James is an ascending artist in whom he takes an interest. James paints, but he doesn’t earn enough to support himself, so he runs a framing and art supply shop. His fiancée, Nancy, is the object of Burr’s lawyer’s interest, but he refrains from saying anything because of how happy Nancy and James are together. Burr begins to do what he always does: he invites James out and frequently comments on how an artist such as himself should be painting all the time instead of running a side business. He manipulates James into thinking that his time is running out, that he is unable to cope with his workload and should instead try and get famous through the commercial route. Burr compares James’ career to that of other artists, and brings up the one thing that he is insecure about: that James does not earn enough money to be married to Nancy. Eventually the pressure gets to be too much, and James drives his car off a bridge, killing himself. The death is ruled an accident, but the lawyer knows exactly what Burr did and is filled with anger and guilt for not seeing it sooner. Then Burr writes a new book whose story is remarkably similar to what happened to James – except the suicide is written in such a way that it is the protagonist’s fault. The lawyer reads one of the first copies and is disgusted with the way Burr set off the events that led to James’ death and then shamelessly used the material for his novel. He is determined not to work for Burr anymore, but then the novelist falls sick and passes away. The novel is published posthumously and gains fame. The lawyer confesses his love to Nancy, but she tells him they cannot be together because the memory of James is still too fresh. He advises her to leave town before she can hear about the novel, but she is unable to leave in time and desperately tries to maintain the belief that James' death was really an accident and not suicide. As a final act of meddling, a letter from Burr written before his death asks the lawyer to purchase all of James’ surviving paintings and display them in a memorial exhibit.