A young Cambridge scientist, Donald Howard, introvert and unpopular, is accused of fraud and dismissed from his fellowship.

A young Cambridge scientist, Donald Howard, introvert and unpopular, is accused of fraud and dismissed from his fellowship. The twenty fellows attempt to dismiss their feelings of unease by calling him guilty. His spouse campaigns for him, splitting the college into two factions, one which sticks by the original verdict the other which seeks to re-try him.—Paul Gerard Kennedy