Will a woman "lambent like a great cathedral candle" find her purpose in life with the ambitious religious leader who preaches "beauty through toil," or the brilliant young architect he has hired to create a resplendent new temple? John Chance accepts Herman Stein's commission as one showman working for another, and because it will give him the opportunity to build something staggeringly beautiful. Then Chance discovers that Stein's new helper, Cynthia, is the woman he fell in love with in Paris - and who now believes every word the charlatan says. Webster, a popular author of the early 20th century, wrote short stories and novels with intriguing characters pursuing goals in unusual ways, sometimes in the business world.