The Way We Live Now

As infamous financier Augustus Melmotte sets up home in 1870s London, rumours spread about his eligible heiress daughter, Marie. A profligate young Baronet named Sir Felix Carbury pursues Marie, winning her heart; but he also likes Ruby, a country girl. Lady Carbury wants her daughter Hetta to marry her modest cousin, Roger Carbury. But Roger is devastated when Hetta falls in love with his protégé, Paul Montague. Paul and his American business partner, Hamilton, start a Railway company with Melmotte's backing. Meanwhile, a mysterious American beauty, Mrs Hurtle, is in London looking for Paul.

Mrs Hurtle wants to keep Paul to a promise of marriage that he once made to her, but Paul loves Hetta. Melmotte dominates the Railway company, ignoring Paul, who decides to visit Mexico to check on railway building work. Ruby seeks Felix in London, and they continue their affair. She stays with her aunt, Mrs Pipkin, with whom Mrs Hurtle is also lodging. Melmotte wants Marie to marry Lord Nidderdale, a suitor. Marie is still in love with Felix, and persuades him to elope with her. Paul is coerced into taking Mrs Hurtle to the coast for the weekend where, disastrously, they bump into Roger.

Mrs Hurtle promises Paul to release him from their engagement if he remains in love with Hetta. Marie's plan to elope with Felix fails badly, and Melmotte is furious about it. Mrs Pipkin and Mrs Hurtle ask Felix to stop seeing Ruby; he then admits to Marie that he only ever wanted her money. In Mexico, Fisker tells Paul that Melmotte is seeking money from shares and doesn't want to build a railway. Paul returns to London, determined to expose Melmotte. He proposes to Hetta, and she accepts. On hearing this, Felix loses no time in telling his sister about Paul's other fiancee, Mrs Hurtle.

Melmotte becomes an MP, but Paul exposes him as a crook through a newspaper and his whole world collapses. After Marie refuses to sign over his emergency fund to him, he kills himself. When Hetta finds out about Paul's engagement to Mrs Hurtle, she wants to end their relationship, but Mrs Hurtle soon returns to America and they get back together. Felix tells Ruby he doesn't want to marry her, whereupon John Crumb comes to her side and wins her heart. Meanwhile, Fisker winds up Melmotte's estate and informs Paul that American share profits will enable them to build their railway afterall.