Zaken zijn zaken

Summary

Maurice Hardacre is attending a ball in New York together with his fiancée Marion when he is summoned to the death-bed of his father. Maurice finds that he is now penniless. When she hears this, Marion, at the instigation of her mercenary mother, breaks off the engagement. Maurice goes to England and appeals for work to his wealthy uncle Jasper Hardacre, the owner of a ship-building yard. The young man is given a job as clerk in his uncle's office. He meets and falls in love with his cousin Esther but, when her father discovers this and objects to their relationship, Maurice is immediately dismissed. He goes to a rival firm and offers to help them to beat his uncle. This he does by following the same strategy as his uncle, namely that successful business can only be conducted with bluff as the best policy. His chances of success appear so good that his former fiancée turns up with her mother and wants to get him back. Esther has come to visit Maurice at his office and is talking with him when Marion arrives. When Esther hears Marion insisting upon her engagement, she acknowledges that the American girl has a prior claim on Maurice and sadly leaves. Jasper Hardacre finally realises that love means everything to his daughter. To achieve for her the happiness he wants her to have, he breaks the rival firm and finds a way to get rid of Maurice's importunate ex-fiancée. Then he brings back Maurice to Esther and takes his future son-in-law into partnership.