Meaning a swindle, trick or scam. The movie starts with Hornblower (Edmund Gwenn) buying property from landowner Hillcrest (C.V. France) assuring him that he would not evict the tenant farmer; soon Hornblower evicts them to build factories and warehouses. Hillcrest is outraged and hires an investigator to dig up some dirt on Hornblower's daughter-in-law and Hillcrest embarks upon a course of blackmail to tragic ends.

The film shows off much of Hitchcok's skill at building suspense and reaches a great climax expected from the master director.