Summary
From the crucible of a fractured home, where the ghost of an alcoholic mother looms large, emerges Lily, burdened by the artistic legacy of her composer father, Anselm Kardos. His parting gift, an unfinished love ode titled “The Song of Songs,” comes with a stark admonition: rein in the volatile artistic temperament that courses through her veins. Cast adrift into the world, Lily finds herself navigating the glittering, yet morally ambiguous, landscapes of Palm Beach and Atlantic City as a salesgirl. Her striking beauty, a double-edged sword, ensnares the attention of a parade of affluent, powerful men. Succumbing to the allure of stability, or perhaps a desperate grasp at respectability, she agrees to marry Senator Calkins, a figure of considerable influence whose past is marred by the callous betrayal of his housekeeper, Ann Merkle. It is Ann, consumed by a venomous jealousy, who orchestrates Lily’s downfall, impersonating her to lure an unsuspecting Dick Laird to Lily’s private quarters. Calkins, discovering the apparent indiscretion, swiftly dissolves their union, leaving Lily bewildered and adrift. She becomes Laird's mistress, a temporary refuge, until a profound connection sparks with Stephen Bennett, a musician whose soul resonates with her own. Despite her tarnished past, Stephen proposes, igniting the fierce disapproval of his uncle, Phineas. Determined to sever the burgeoning romance, Phineas employs a cruel stratagem, plying Lily with champagne to expose her in a compromised state to the idealistic Stephen. Disillusioned, Stephen flees westward, but the pull of destiny, or perhaps a deeper understanding, compels his return, snatching Lily from the brink of suicide and binding their fates in marriage.
Synopsis
When composer Anselm Kardos leaves his alcoholic wife, he gives his daughter Lily an unfinished love ode entitled "The Song of Songs" and warns her to keep her artistic temperament in check. Lily becomes a salesgirl for an import dealer and travels to Palm Beach and Atlantic City, where her beauty attracts the attention of many wealthy men. Finally, Lily agrees to marry Senator Calkins, a powerful but unscrupulous man who earlier had betrayed the love of Ann Merkle, his housekeeper. Impersonating Lily on the phone, the jealous Ann invites Calkins' neighbor, Dick Laird, to visit Lily in her room, and when the senator finds him there, he divorces her. Bewildered, Lily remains Laird's mistress until she falls in love with musician Stephen Bennett. Aware of her past, Stephen proposes, much to the dismay of his uncle Phineas, who resolves to break up the romance. After Phineas plies Lily with champagne so that the idealistic young man may see her in an intoxicated state, Stephen boards a train for the West. Soon, however, he returns to save Lily from suicide by marrying her.
