The story begins with the shocking announcement of the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Garstone, European settlers in Kenya, at the hands of their own "houseboy," a native Kenyan who had been employed by them. This act of rebellion, attributed to "unknown gangsters," quickly spreads throughout the community. Mrs. Hardy and Mrs. Smiles, also European settlers in the area, visit their neighbor, Mrs. Hill, to discuss the unsettling news. Mrs. Hill, one of the area's first settlers, owns extensive tea plantations. Her husband has passed away, and her children are attending school in England. She takes pride in her fair and generous treatment of her African employees, particularly in providing them with huts made of real bricks.

Mrs. Hill believes that with patience and understanding, the Africans can be "civilized." In contrast, Mrs. Hardy and Mrs. Smiles view the African people as "savages" incapable of civilization. During their visit, Mrs. Hill calls for Njoroge, an African man who has served as her "houseboy" for over a decade, to bring tea for her guests. She boasts about Njoroge's loyalty and affection for her. That evening, after finishing his work, Njoroge returns to his brick hut, feeling contempt for the small dwelling that Mrs. Hill proudly provided. Unable to accommodate his entire family, he has sent his two wives and several children to live elsewhere.

Njoroge has planned to kill Mrs. Hill that night as an act of rebellion, with help from the Ihii (Freedom Boys). As he sits in his hut, thinking about his own family, he starts to consider Mrs. Hill's family—her late husband and her children in England. Seeing her as a mother, Njoroge's resolve weakens; she becomes humanized in his mind. He decides to rush to her house to warn her before the Freedom Boys arrive to kill her.

Meanwhile, influenced by her earlier conversation with her friends, Mrs. Hill prepares a gun to defend herself. When she hears Njoroge knocking at her door, she mistakenly believes he has come to kill her and shoots him, thinking she is acting in self-defense. Tragically, Mrs. Hill has "in fact killed her savior." The news of Njoroge's death hails Mrs. Hill as brave for supposedly fighting off "a gang fifty strong." Her friends, Mrs. Hardy and Mrs. Smiles, visit to congratulate her on her perceived bravery.

However, Mrs. Hill remains troubled by the circumstances of Njoroge's death. The more she reflects on it, the more puzzled she becomes. She concludes with a sigh, saying, "I don't know." In contrast, Mrs. Hardy and Mrs. Smiles agree with each other that "all of them should be whipped."