After his wife dies and he retires, Dr. Bohrmann, a renowned philosophy professor, makes major changes to his life, including building a new house for himself. While he is happy with his new life, Bohrmann deeply misses his wife, Hedda. Bohrmann recounts his long history of letter-based correspondences. He thinks about his deep generosity to those he barely knows and the way he has founded lasting friendships simply through the exchange of letters. One of these friends, a young student named Henry Medley, is very devoted to Bohrmann's teachings and is highly educated. Bohrmann enjoys writing to Henry very much, and is impressed with Henry's ability to match his own mind. One day, Bohrmann receives a surprising letter from Henry; Henry writes that he intends to meet Bohrmann in person and stay near or in his house. Bohrmann is generally pleased by this, but his housekeeper, Mrs. Pritchard, is deeply skeptical of the idea. When Henry arrives, he immediately begins to absorb everything Bohrmann tells him, which makes the professor happy. He sees the boy as a sort of son figure. Bohrmann's friends are equally approving of Henry and mark him as an interesting and intelligent boy. Even when it becomes clear that Henry is allergic to Bohrmann's cat, the professor does not mind much. However, as Henry's stay lengthens, Bohrmann becomes increasingly tired of his unceasing devotion, to the extent that his happiness becomes full-blown annoyance. With the help of Mrs. Pritchard and Henry's cat allergy, the student is eventually driven from the house, to Bohrmann's and Mrs. Pritchard's relief.