In New York City, mid 1800s, Junius Fox, an educated young black man, is fascinated by the brownstones where the white gentry live. He yearns to live in one, to know it and possess it. After years of longing, Junius finally gets close to satisfying his obsession when he finds work as a waiter in a brownstone owned by a widow. But when the widow dies, Junius takes up a job as butler in the sumptuous brownstone of Madame Ida, who...