A fictional town descends into chaos as it becomes the focal point of an attempted revolution, orchestrated by master conspirator Pyotr Verkhovensky. A mysterious aristocratic figure dominates, exercising an extraordinary influence over the hearts and minds of almost all the other characters. The narrative is written in the first person by a minor character, Anton. Young, educated, upright and sensible, Anton is a local civil servant who has decided to write a chronicle of the strange events that have recently occurred in his town.