After the death of his step-brother Philip, a thirty-eight-year old man travels to a town called San Juan del Monte in Mexico with the intent of repaying Philip’s debts. Upon arriving, a guide named Juan Chavez welcomes the man to Mexico and tells him that Philip was a friend of everyone and was affectionately known as El Borracho, or the drunkard. The man worries about Philip’s character, but Juan ensures him that he was very well-loved and respected.  The next morning, Juan tells the man local stories over breakfast at an inn. The innkeeper stops by and asks what Philip was like as a child. A priest joins their table, too, and mentions that women have put flowers on Philip’s grave. He asks if Philip’s step-brother has seen Philip’s land or house, and they ride together to see his property. The man becomes extremely uncomfortable, seeing how poor everyone is and worrying that Philip was poor as well. His house, however, is small and decorated with fresh flowers. A widow — whose son Philip once saved from drowning — keeps the house clean and tells the man he should live in the house now that Philip is gone. The man is in shock at how magical and lovely the house seems.  The group then goes to see Philip’s grave, which says "El Borracho" in fancy letters. The priest leads prayers, and after he finishes, the man asks the priest how much the funeral cost so that he can repay them. The priest appears confused and says there is no need. The man later goes through Philip’s papers and sees that he wanted the house left for anyone who the priest, Juan, or the widow wanted to live there. He tries again to repay Philip’s debts but is refused. Ultimately, he decides to stay in the town for longer than a week to learn more about Philip’s life and the town. When he finally leaves, the debt remains unpaid.  Much later, the man receives a letter saying that Juan has died of the same fever Philip died from. In a later letter, he says that the widow has married a rich rancher and now spends her days ordering people around, the opposite of who she used to be. Soon after, he hears that the priest has died in his sleep. After receiving all this news, the man thinks to himself that he will never be the same.