Their stories are revealed one by one. Tom Prior, a prodigal son, discovers that he's traveling with his ex-boss, Mr. Lingley, a captain of industry; his mother, Mrs. Midget, whose identity is unknown to him, is curious about how her son is doing; Mrs. Cliveden-Banks, an affected socialite, chats with Scrubby the steward; Rev. William Duke, a clergyman, is keen about his missionary work in the London slums; and the young couple, Henry and Ann, who are facing an impossible love affair and have decided that they cannot live without each other. They now wonder if they will be together forever.