The law of Douglas van Yssen

"An innocent train journey to the graduation ceremony of their brilliant son, Douglas, forever changes the lives of a middle aged couple when they hesitatingly engage in an intimate experiment. Douglas is about to become engaged to Frances, a talented girl of fine social standing. When Douglas becomes incurably deaf he has a scandalous affair with a shop assistant and produces a child. His fiancé's father, a prominent judge, disparages Douglas. Isolated on a small farm and utterly impecunious, Douglas' [sic] great intellect allows him to set a legal precedent against all odds."--Back cover.