The narrator, a saxophonist in a restaurant band, spots Tibor, a cellist he met seven years ago. The narrator and Fabian are the only two remaining from that summer’s lineup. The narrator recalls how Tibor was involved with an American woman.

When Tibor, a thin Hungarian cellist with unfashionable spectacles, first appeared in the piazza, the band befriended him and learned he had studied at the Royal Academy in London and then under Oleg Petrovic in Vienna. Though highly trained, Tibor was struggling financially, so Giancarlo and Ernesto, members of the narrator’s band, arranged for him to audition for Mr. Kaufmann, a man with hotel industry connections. Tibor performed in the café’s back room and was grateful for the opportunity.

An American woman named Eloise McCormack approached Tibor after a recital, claiming to be a talented cellist, and told him he had potential but was not on the correct path. When Tibor proudly mentioned studying under Petrovic, she cast doubt on Petrovic’s talents. Though initially furious, Tibor was disturbed because her words echoed his private doubts. She told him to visit her at the Excelsior Hotel.

Three days later, Tibor went to the hotel, called her room, and returned an hour later with his cello. In her suite, he played for an hour while she listened silently. Afterward, she said they could work through his problems together. Their daily sessions began. Her abstract verbal critiques improved his playing, making him feel as though he had accessed a new level of musical understanding.

As summer progressed, Tibor noticed that Eloise had no cello in her suite, which made him suspicious. He pushed these doubts aside because their sessions were transforming his music. As they spent more time together, the band started speculating about their relationship.

One afternoon, Eloise told Tibor about Peter Henderson, a man in Oregon who wanted to marry her. She confessed she was hiding from him in Italy. When Tibor asked if Peter appreciated music, she described him as a music lover but stressed that living with a virtuoso is challenging, warning Tibor that he would experience the same issues.

The unspoken issue of Eloise’s playing created growing tension. Once, when critiquing a passage, she offered to demonstrate on his cello, but Tibor deflected, claiming her verbal guidance was more valuable than imitation.

In late September, Mr. Kaufmann offered Tibor a position in an Amsterdam hotel. Tibor questioned whether the position was suitable for someone of his caliber, which angered Giancarlo. The band concluded that Eloise had made Tibor arrogant. Tibor asked for three days to decide but kept the offer secret from Eloise.

At their next session, Eloise revealed that, while she considered herself a virtuoso, she had not played the cello since age 11. She stopped to protect her innate gift from mediocre teachers who would damage it. She believed she and Tibor shared the same rare gift and had to help each other.

Stunned, Tibor ended the session early and told her he was taking a short countryside holiday. After leaving, he made travel arrangements and then told Giancarlo he would accept the Amsterdam job after his vacation.

When Tibor returned a week later, he was relieved to find Eloise still there and the tension between them gone. Their sessions resumed with renewed energy. Four days after his return, mishaps made him late. He arrived in the evening to find that Peter Henderson had located Eloise. Peter was friendly and asked Tibor to play, but Eloise intervened, saying they had a dinner reservation.

Outside the hotel, Eloise told Tibor that she would return to America and marry Peter. Tibor revealed that he was taking the Amsterdam hotel job. He saw a brief flicker in her eyes before she wished him luck and returned to the hotel. Tibor left the city soon afterward and thanked the band for their help, though they sensed he was disappointed. 

In the present, the narrator sees that Tibor has gained weight and carries an air of impatience and perhaps bitterness. The narrator speculates he may have a desk job and is passing through on business, resolving to talk to Tibor if he sees him again.