Vitaly Meshchersky, a young man who recently entered the university, comes home on vacation, inspired by the desire to find love without romance. Following his plans, he travels to neighboring estates, getting into his uncle's house one day. Along the way, the hero’s childhood love for cousin Sonya is mentioned, which he now meets and with whom he immediately begins an affair. Sonya coquettishly warns Vitaly that tomorrow he will see Natalie Stankevich, a friend at her gymnasium, who is visiting her and will fall in love with her “to the grave”. The next morning, he really sees Natalie and is amazed at her beauty. Since that time, a sensual relationship with Sonya and Natalie's innocent admiration have been developing for Vitaly at the same time. Sonya jealously suggests that Vitaly is in love with Natalie, but at the same time asks him to pay more attention to the latter in order to more carefully hide his connection with him. However, Natalie does not leave unnoticed Sonya’s relationship with Vitaly and, when he takes her hand, informs him of this. Vitaly replies that he loves Sonya as a sister.
The day after this conversation, Natalie does not go out for breakfast or dinner, and Sonya ironically assumes that she has fallen in love. Natalie appears in the evening and surprises Vitaly with affability, liveliness, a new dress and a changed hairstyle. On the same day, Sonya says that she became ill and will lie for five days. In the absence of Sonya, the role of the mistress of the house naturally passes to Natalie, who, meanwhile, avoids being left alone with Vitaly. Once Natalie tells Vitaly that Sonya is angry with her for not trying to entertain him, and offers to meet in the garden in the evening. Vitaly preoccupies himself with reflections, to what extent he owes this offer to polite hospitality. At dinner, Vitaly announces to his uncle and Natalie that he is going to leave. In the evening, when she and Natalie go for a walk, she asks him if this is true, and he, in the affirmative, asks her permission to introduce herself to her relatives. She with the words "yes, yes, I love you" goes back to the house and tells Vitaly to leave tomorrow, adding that she will return home in a few days.
Vitaly returns home and finds Sonya in his nightgown in his room. At that very moment, Natalie appears on the threshold with a candle in her hand and, having seen them, runs away.
A year later, Natalie marries Alexei Meshchersky, cousin Vitaly. A year later, Vitaly accidentally meets her at the ball. A few years later, Natalie's husband dies and Vitaly, performing a related duty, comes to the funeral. They avoid talking to each other.
Years pass. Meshchersky graduates from the university and settles in the village. He converges with the peasant orphan Gasha, who gives birth to his child. Vitaly offers Gasha to get married, but in response he hears a refusal, an offer to go to Moscow and a warning that if he is planning to marry someone else, she will drown with her child. Some time later, Meshchersky went abroad and sent a telegram to Natalie on the way back, asking permission to visit her. Permission is given, a meeting takes place, a mutual sincere explanation and a love scene. Six months later, Natalie dies of premature birth.
