After a Dublin 'tea taster', salesman Tom Kernan loses consciousness while drunk and takes a nasty fall down the stairs. His friends, who want to help rescue Kernan from inevitable consequences of his flawed ways, gather in his bedroom and talk about a catholic retreat, which is taking place for the benefit of businessmen. They persuade him to attend a retreat with the hope that it will renew his faith. An expertly-crafted short story from Joyce's classic work Dubliners.