The story starts with the narrator thinking and telling the reader
about his attitude to giving advice to somebody. He thinks it to be
quite difficult and even impossible to give the right advice as we
know nothing of the others. He tells that once a man, Stephens by
name, came to his apartment to ask whether it was worth going to
Spain to live. The author doesn’t happen to know Stephens before
and it seems for him quite odd. Stephens tells the author about his
life and job and asks if there is any opportunity for a surgeon to
work in Spain. The author tells him about his attitude to it and
Stephens goes away. Many years later the narrator happens to be in
Seville and there he meets Stephens. The story ends with Stephens
thanking the author.