In the dark

• Alexander Egorovich Alarin - engineer
• Zinaida Pavlovna - pepinier, governess in the house of Kashperov
• Sergey Grigorievich Kashperov - a rich breeder
• Lisa Kashperova - his daughter
• Pavel Afanasevich Krukovsky - a gambler, organizer of balls in the city of R.

Alexander Egorovich Alarin takes the train that goes to the city of R., with a foul mood. Sitting in the carriage, he observes a picture of how one obese man does not take his eyes off the fragile girl opposite, and after some time, boldly, whispers an obscene offer in her ear. The girl is filled with paint, Alarin, who is tired of the neighborhood with the insolent order, sends him out by force and starts a conversation with the girl, Zinaida Pavlovna. It turned out that she was also going to the city of R., where she was going to become the nanny of Kashperov’s young daughter. Alarin’s act inspired her so much that she begins to experience an irresistible craving for an engineer. Upon arrival in R. they part.

Zinaida Pavlovna was well received by Kashperov’s daughter, but the landowner himself did not find anything interesting in her and took nothing more than the next nanny, which someone would soon replace. She behaved with him very coldly and even hostilely, which surprised Sergei Grigorievich, because in spite of everything he tried to politely treat the servant. But once he heard how Zinaida Pavlovna sang an excerpt from Faust - “Ah, I do not shine with beauty and therefore do not stand a knight’s hand ...” - and gradually a big love began to arise in his soul.

Once, the three of them with their daughter went on a dinner party to Krukovsky. At the ball, Zinaida Pavlovna met Alarina again, from whom she asked for help, to protect her from Kashperov’s strange wild looks. Alarin himself did not have any special feelings for the girl and therefore simply advised her to leave. Kashperov found them during the conversation. Zinaida Pavlovna, embarrassed by his appearance, immediately asked me to take her home.

Alarin decided to continue the evening at the card table. He lost all the cash, but did not stop there. As the madman returned home, he found a bundle of state-owned money and again went to Krukovsky. He failed to recoup. Alarin lost the eleven thousand.

The next morning, when he woke up, he received a letter from the Audit Commission , in which he was asked to welcome to the office with the full amount and string books. Alarin falls into despair, wanders thoughtlessly around the city until he encounters Zinaida Pavlovna, answers her questions angrily and in an insulting form. Upon learning of the incident, Zinaida Pavlovna understands that she must help him. That evening, she asks Kashperov for the necessary amount and promises him to be with him forever, to fulfill all his wishes. Kashperov at first did not realize the true reason for her request, but afterwards came to the conclusion that she was accomplishing a feat.

Having arrived at Alarin’s house, Zinaida Pavlovna gives him the money and for the last time tries to justify him, asks to return this amount on purpose and admit everything. Alarin looks in surprise and does not understandly answer, why admit, why spoil his reputation. A feeling of contempt is growing in Zinaida Pavlovna. Alarin no longer seems strong and courageous to her, now she is a small, miserable and deceitful person.

From shock, Zinaida Pavlovna develops a nervous fever . Nobody can help her. Alarin already on the train learns from the newspaper that "... the breeder K. took his life by taking a strong solution of hydrocyanic acid ." He did not read about the reasons for the suicide.

• The Governess (1915).
• “ Desire for Love ” (1993) directed by Victor Georgiev .

• Summary of the story “In the Darkness” (Russian) . Date of treatment May 26, 2012. Archived September 22, 2012.