The Duncker brothers, Max and Wolfgang, own a thriving publishing business in Germany. When Max's gambling gets out of hand, Wolfgang sends him to pay court to a celebrity author - Sibyl, also known as George Eliot. Yet Wolfgang has an ulterior motive: for his brother to consider Sophie von Hahn as a potential wife. Both women have Max in thrall - out of his depth, Max finds himself precariously balanced between Sophie and the Sibyl.