The centre of the novel is the dark web of intrigue surrounding Doctor Sturk, the military doctor (who is on the brink of bankruptcy) and Charles Nutter, the local agent for Lord Castlemallard, whom Sturk both hates and envies. Sturk is troubled by vague recollections about Dangerfield, and gradually realizes that he is in fact the wily and dangerous Charles Archer, who actually committed the murder of Beauclerc.
The core of the novel revolves around the complex web of deceit surrounding Doctor Sturk, a military doctor (on the verge of financial ruin) and Charles Nutter, Lord Castlemallard's local representative, whom Sturk both despises and admires. Sturk is haunted by hazy memories of Dangerfield, and eventually comes to understand that he is actually the cunning and ruthless Charles Archer, who actually committed Beauclerc's murder.