▁a ▁wealth y ▁man ▁named ▁N olan ▁who ▁died ▁soon ▁there after , ▁but ▁not ▁before ▁leaving ▁" about ▁a ▁third ▁of ▁his ▁very ▁large ▁fortune ▁entirely ▁to ▁Mrs . ▁Ben ham ▁and ▁the ▁rest ▁to ▁her ▁in ▁trust ▁for ▁her ▁son , ▁whom ▁he ▁de emed ▁himself ▁to ▁have ▁injured ." ▁ ▁His ▁mother ▁subsequently ▁mar ries ▁a ▁great ▁London ▁sur geon ▁and ▁becomes ▁Lady ▁Mar ay ne ; ▁her ▁ind is cret ion ▁is ▁forg iven ▁and ▁she ▁enjo ys ▁a ▁position ▁of ▁privile ge . ▁ ▁The ▁bulk ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁rec ount s ▁Ben ham ' s ▁effort ▁to ▁live ▁nob ly , ▁which ▁brings ▁him ▁into ▁conflict ▁with ▁his ▁mother , ▁with ▁his ▁friend ▁Pro ther o , ▁a ▁school boy ▁ch um ▁who ▁becomes ▁a ▁Cambridge ▁don , ▁and ▁with ▁his ▁wife , ▁Am anda , ▁a ▁young ▁woman ▁he ▁lov es ▁passion ately ▁but ▁then ▁leaves ▁behind ▁in ▁England ▁to ▁travel ▁the ▁world ▁( Ind ia , ▁Russia , ▁China ) ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁wisdom . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁in ▁Johannes burg , ▁South ▁Africa , ▁that ▁Ben ham ▁is ▁fat ally ▁shot ▁while ▁attempting ▁to ▁stop ▁soldiers ▁firing ▁at ▁strik ers . ▁ ▁Th emes ▁The ▁body ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁is ▁preced ed ▁by ▁a ▁ 5 5 - page ▁" pre l ude " ▁entitled ▁" On ▁F ear ▁and ▁Arist ocracy " ▁that ▁explains ▁Ben ham ' s ▁lif el ong ▁per plex ity ▁at ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁human ▁be ings ▁to ▁be