A man finds himself trapped in a deadly love triangle in this haunting mystery from one of America's earliest detective fiction writers.

Acting on a suggestion that the perfect model for his sculpture of Antigone could be found at the Beech Grove estate, Mr. Ruxton, an artist, travels to Cooperstown, New York, to find her. There, he is overcome by passion at his first sight of Miss Hurd, a companion to the lady of the house. But Ruxton is not the only one to fall under her spell. A man of enormous wealth and influence makes himself known to Ruxton as a rival for Miss Hurd's affection.

But neither man is to find satisfaction. Miss Hurd flees. Her strange affectations and ethereal beauty continue to torment Ruxton. And when he sees her again-on a New York City streetcar-he will be drawn into a surreal mystery that will lead to revelations of torment, tragedy, and the darkest impulses of the human heart.