"'Passion for freedom, ' 'experience, ' 'life.' There's nothing original in it. It's merely the modern method of excusing self-seeking."

Brother Anselm comes back to England to counter the Atheist's efforts to destroy the influence of Catholic morals. Between his lectures he is drawn into a struggle for the soul of Beauty Dethier, who is Catholic but fascinated by the "freedom" of the world and the Atheist. It will take more than argument to save her from disaster.