22-year-old Brennan stays at Mrs. Farrelly’s rooming house between his shipping voyages. He and Mrs. Farrelly immediately grow fond of each other, though not romantically. Brennan adores Mrs. Farrelly’s smile and her generosity despite her being a married woman.

Because Brennan enjoys reading and Mr. Farrelly is a poet, Mrs. Farrelly introduces the two men over a Sunday meal. The conversation could be more comfortable, as Mr. Farrelly speaks about books but gets details wrong, with Brennan fully aware. Mrs. Farrelly suggests that her husband share some of his own poetry with Brennan, but Mr. Farrelly refuses.  While her husband spends his days ailing and pent up in the library, Mrs. Farrelly continuously confides in Brennan about her troublesome sister and her husband’s failing health. After returning from a 3-month long trip, Brennan sees Mrs. Farrelly, and she has tears in her eyes. She tells Brennan her husband had passed away and that they already buried him the day before. 

Brennan shares his condolences, and Mrs. Farrelly brings out some of Mr. Farrelly’s poetry for Brennan to read. She asks him what he thinks, and he says it is “the best.”