The novel is a tale of a group of people caught by the spell of the mysterious and enigmatic Mischa Fox - the enchanter - possibly foreign, definitely wealthy, and said to have great, perhaps mystical powers.

Ten years previously, Rosa refused Fox's marriage proposal, and is currently engaged in an affair with two Polish immigrants, the Lusciewicz brothers.

The adventurous, willful Annette Cockeyne, age 19, drops out of school to learn from real life, but gets in over her head, especially after she becomes a target of Fox's attention.

John Rainborough, a bureaucrat, suffers from unrequited love and threats to his authority from his "typist," Miss Casement.

Through his connection to Rainborough, Hunter Keepe accesses classified information on immigration policy to use against Stefan Lusiewicz, who he wants out of his house.