Eustace Ede, the unhinged brother of Lady Magda Ware, is discovered drowned in the lake of her country house. While most assume it to have been suicide, a detective inspector's persistence finally leads to the arrest of Magda's husband, Sir Hubert Ware. The subsequent murder trial turns into a major society scandal, and the strain on Sir Hubert's mind may prove too much for him whether he is found innocent or guilty....