Three short stories are introduced by author W. Somerset Maugham in the second of his anthology movie trilogy. In "The Verger", a church verger of 17 years is fired by his new straight-laced vicar when it's discovered that he cannot read or write. Forced to make life-altering decisions, the life-long bachelor proposes to his landlady and becomes an entrepreneur. In "Mr. Know-All" an obnoxiously pushy, irrepressibly-boorish dealer in jewelry alienates all of his fellow passengers on an ocean cruise despite his cheerful nature and generosity, but later is sensitive enough to realize that sacrificing his ego at a key moment is important to a woman's happiness. "The Sanatorium" revolves around the lives of tuberculosis patients at an exclusive Scottish sanatorium, including a pair of doomed lovers who choose quality over quantity of life.