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A predictable, unadventurous bank cashier named Mr. Duffy lives an existence of prudence and organization in Chapelizod, a suburb just outside of Dublin. He lives in Chapelizod because he does not want to live in the heart of Dublin but, at the same time, he finds every other Dublin suburb “mean, modern and pretentious.” He keeps a tidy house, eats the same meals at the same restaurants, and makes the same daily commute. Mr. Duffy is a solitary man who prefers to keep to himself. He does not often engage with the world around him at a deeper or personal level and he does not appear to have any meaningful relationships with people, either platonic or romantic. This is likely the case because Mr. Duffy detests disorder and weakness of any kind and consistently finds himself disappointed in humanity. Mr. Duffy is also very careful with his money and does not like to spend it on anything frivolous—he does not even give alms to the poor when he passes them on the street.
Misanthropy aside, Mr. Duffy does possess some intellectual and cultural interests. His orderly home is void of any personal touches except for a bookshelf which contains texts ranging from Maynooth Catechism to a complete collection of Wordsworth. In addition to reading, Mr. Duffy also writes occasionally and he keeps his manuscripts and notes in his desk which are held together with a brass pin. Mr. Duffy’s greatest, and perhaps only, pleasure is music. For example, he likes to sit at his landlady’s piano after work. He also treats himself to a concert or a trip to the opera from time to time which are his only deviations from his rigid frugality.
One of these musical evenings, Mr. Duffy finds himself seated next to a woman around his age and her young daughter. The woman, Mrs. Sinico, remarks to Mr. Duffy that she is sorry for the performers because the house is so empty that night. Mr. Duffy interprets her comment as an invitation to keep talking to her and he spends the rest of the evening engaged in a conversation with this mysterious new theatergoer. Mrs. Sinico is a striking, clever woman and Mr. Duffy is intrigued by her instantly. Mr. Duffy runs into Mrs. Sinico and her daughter a few weeks later at a concert in Earlsfort Terrace, and Mr. Duffy and Mrs. Sinico bond even more. Finally, the pair run into each other for a third time and Mr. Duffy musters up the courage to set up a time and day to meet purposely with her. Because Mrs. Sinico is married and her husband, a captain of a merchant ship, is constantly away from home, Mr. Duffy feels slightly uncomfortable with the clandestine nature of the relationship. On the other hand, Mr. Sinico encourages the meetings. He does so because he thinks that Mr. Duffy wants to marry their daughter. Nevertheless, Mr. Duffy and Mrs. Sinico continue to meet, always at her home and away from prying eyes.
