: The young officer fell in love with the princess, shot a duel because of her, but did not want to marry. In parallel, he resumed relations with a long-time mistress. Having compromised both women, the officer left.

In the original, the narration is conducted on behalf of Pechorin in the form of entries in his diary.

After the wound, Pechorin arrived to be treated in the waters, in Pyatigorsk.

Then he met his old friend - the cadet Grushnitsky, who was also treated after being wounded, and with whom they were “outwardly in the most friendly relations”.

However, Pechorin felt: "someday we will meet on a narrow road and one of us will not be bored."

Of the entire respectable public undergoing treatment on the waters, the Ligovskys stood out - the princess and her lovely daughter Mary.

Grushnitsky, whose goal was to "become a hero of the novel," instantly charmed the princess and began to look for a reason to get to know Mary and make an official visit to their house. The princess was in no hurry to get to know him, although he was very romantic in his old soldier's overcoat. It seemed to her that this officer had been demoted for a duel.

Pechorin, on the contrary, emphasized that he avoided the opportunity of acquaintance and was in no hurry to pay a visit to the princess’s house, which caused considerable surprise, bewilderment and interest of the Ligovsky. He learned about this from his new acquaintance - the local doctor Werner, with whom they became friends.

Pechorin, fleeing the boredom of a provincial town, decided to win the girl’s heart, knowing full well that this would cause jealousy of Grushnitsky, who was already passionately in love with Mary. This idea amused him and added intrigue to what was happening.

It is unlikely that there will be a young man who, having met a pretty woman, who has riveted his idle attention and suddenly clearly distinguished another, unfamiliar to her, ‹...› was not unpleasantly struck by this.

He learned from Werner that the princess was visiting a very sick relative. According to the description of the doctor, Pechorin recognized Vera, his longtime lover.

They met, and forgotten feelings aroused in his soul. So that they could see each other more often, without causing rumors and conversations in the city, Vera suggested that Pechorin visit the princess’s house more often and begin to look after Mary to avert his eyes. He agreed - at least some entertainment.

At the ball, Pechorin saved Mary from the harassment of a drunken officer, and the princess, out of gratitude, invited him to pay a visit to their house. But even during the reception at the Princess’s house, Pechorin showed indifference to Mary, which angered her. She did not understand his coldness, and this only added the intensity of passions in the game of Pechorin. He had his own plan for seducing an inexperienced young lady.

All thoughts of Princess Mary were now occupied by Pechorin, and Grushnitsky’s courtship was already tired of her. Even when Grushnitsky appeared in a new officer uniform, this did not make a proper impression on her - she became colder with him.Grushnitsky saw the reason for this coldness in her fascination with Pechorin, he was jealous and emphasized on the side of his former friend.

Mary fell in love with Pechorin more and more, and Vera began to be jealous and demanded from Pechorin a promise that he would not marry the princess.

During one of the walks, Mary confessed to Pechorin in love, but he did not answer her. “Do you want this?” She continued, but Pechorin indifferently said: “Why?” After that, Mary hurriedly returned to her place. Pechorin enjoyed his achievement - he fell in love with a girl, not knowing why.

Returning from a walk, Pechorin saw that one of the houses of the settlement was very lit. Sneaking up to the window, he overheard the officers walking in the house scornfully speaking about him and praising Grushnitsky who was present there.

Finally, the officers agreed on amusements for the sake of bringing Grushnitsky and Pechorin to a duel and slipping them with unloaded pistols. They were sure that Pechorin was scared. Grushnitsky agreed. Pechorin returned home angry, wondering why he was so hated.

About pride! You are the lever with which Archimedes wanted to raise the globe!

Meanwhile, the city was already full of rumors that Pechorin was going to marry Mary. Pechorin guessed who their source was. Werner warned him, and the princess expected that he would soon offer Mary a hand and heart. But Pechorin denied these rumors, because he valued freedom most of all.

Vera and Pechorin continued to see each other. One evening, when the whole city gathered at the performance of a visiting magician, Vera invited Pechorin to her secret meeting. Going down from her balcony late at night, he found himself opposite the windows of Princess Mary, who lived a floor below — she also stayed at home and did not go to the show. Pechorin looked out the window, saw a girl, jumped on the grass and came across people, in one of whom he recognized Grushnitsky. They pretended to mistake him for a thief and started a brawl. Pechorin escaped. The next day, Grushnitsky publicly announced that he knew who was on that date on a date in Mary’s bedroom. The name of her lover is Pechorin.

Offended Pechorin challenged Grushnitsky to a duel. Arriving home, he told Werner about the upcoming duel and what Grushnitsky planned to do with pistols. Werner agreed to be his second.

At the appointed time, the participants in the duel gathered in the appointed place. Grushnitsky, following the plan of the rally, offered to shoot from six steps. Pechorin wanted to move to the rock, and shoot at the very edge of the cliff, so that even a slight wound was fatal. The corpse in this case will be attributed to the Circassians.

By lot - here it is, Destiny - Grushnitsky fell first to shoot. He faced a difficult choice - to admit to a low deed unworthy of an officer, or to become a murderer. But the officer did not face the retreat - he shot and wounded Pechorin in the leg.

It was Pechorin’s turn. He advised Grushnitsky to pray and listen - is his conscience talking to him? But there was not even a “slight trace of remorse” on Grushnitsky’s face. He insisted on continuing the duel. Then Pechorin told his second that they forgot to charge his gun. The second second was indignant at the possibility of this and refused to change the pistols. But Grushnitsky acknowledged that Pechorin was right and, experiencing a storm of feelings in his soul, demanded the continuation of the duel - “there is no place for us on earth together ...”. Pechorin was forced to shoot.

The murder of Grushnitsky was attributed, as intended, to the Circassians. Vera, learning about the duel, in great excitement admitted to her husband that she loved Pechorin, and her husband in indignation took her out of the city. Pechorin, having received her farewell note, rushed after her, but did not catch up. Only now he realized that Vera is the only woman who is dear to him, she alone loves and accepts him unconditionally.

I realized that chasing after the lost happiness is useless and reckless.

The bosses of Pechorin still suspected that he was participating in a duel, and quietly transferred him to serve in a fortress in the Caucasus.Before leaving, he paid a visit to the house of Princess Ligovskaya. She thanked Pechorin for saving the good name of her daughter and asked why he did not make an offer to Mary, because she was rich, pretty, and loved him very much. But Pechorin asked for a private conversation with the princess, during which he said that he did not love her and laughed at her all this time. In response, he heard: "I hate you." An hour later, Pechorin left.