Mrs. Mason is a mother who lives in suburban Connecticut. She recently divorced her abusive husband and moved to a new neighborhood. She employs a German governess named Fräulein Strasser who cares for her sons, Hugh and Dicky. Fräulein spends her evenings with Mr. Loeb, a gardener who works for a wealthy, disagreeable woman named Mrs. Sisson. He’s a Jewish refugee who fled a Nazi concentration camp, and he doesn’t speak much English. He is typically reticent about his tragic experience. Mrs. Mason sees a similarity in her circumstances and Mr. Loeb’s—they both have escaped the unspeakable, but they feel that the threat lingers. Throughout the summer, Mrs. Mason and Mr. Loeb spend more time together. He realizes that he’s falling in love with her, but she is scared to open herself up to love again. At Hugh’s birthday party, Mr. Loeb stops by to greet the children. He plays with them and later sits down to talk with Fräulein, Mrs. Mason, and her friend Mr. Worthington. Worthington awkwardly extends sympathy to Mr. Loeb. Loeb tries to explain how he feels about his time in the camp, but he can’t get his point across in broken English. With Fraülein’s translation and Mrs. Mason’s intuitive understanding of his situation, Loeb elucidates that the collective fate of millions of Jews helps him feel like he’s not alone in his suffering. He is happy that he got out, but he mourns the others who aren’t so lucky. Weeks later, Mrs. Sisson gets into a tiff with Mr. Loeb. She threatens to report him to the Refugee Committee. Mrs. Mason says that she’ll write to the committee on his behalf and vouch for his character. She won't let anything happen to him. Mr. Loeb thanks her profusely, and the fear leaves his eyes.