Summary

Framton Nuttel has been sent to a small country town in England to recover from some type of nervous condition. Framton's doctors have told him to avoid any "mental excitement" or "violent physical exercise." He is to take a "complete rest." Framton's sister has provided Framton with letters of introduction to people she met when she had visited the same town, four years before. The sister provided the letters to counter what she knows is Framton's tendency to hide from everyone and mope. Framton is leery of meeting strangers, but has decided to venture out on a formal visit to Mrs. Sappleton, hoping that she would be one of the people his sister had remembered as being "quite nice."

When he arrives at Mrs. Sappleton's house, he finds that she is not immediately available, so he is received by her 15-year-old...