Before the arrival of the old man, the owner had only ten acres of land. Though the owner himself was in charge of the work in the plantation, there used to be petty thefts and he could not prevent them. Secondly, he was very busy and hard-working and hardly had any time to spend with his friends. So, he had hardly any friends at all.

Once the old man was appointed as an overseer on the farm, the old man being well-versed in agriculture, understood the problems of the workers and solved all the problems. His efficient supervision resulted in a dramatic increase in the earnings of the farm. Consequently, the owner expanded his farm, became lethargic and shied away from hard work, leaving the plantation in charge of the old man.

Furthermore, the owner’s wealth and social prestige also increased. Along with that, he acquired a number of friends in the next town as well as in his own village. Even though he had precious little to do, his life became crowded with colourful events. He also cultivated umpteen vices including adultery. These changes in her husband’s lifestyle made the wife wonder whether the old man’s arrival was for the better or for the worse.