Peter Ignátitch, a well-to-do peasant, is forty-two years old and sickly. His second wife, Anisya, is only thirty-two years old. Still feeling young, she starts an affair with Nikita Akimitch Tchilikin, their hired man. Peter considers Nikita a loafer and thinks of dismissing him. As he is explaining his intention to Anisya, they learn that Nikita is talking about getting married and leaving their farm. Anisya complains to Peter that Nikita’s departure will leave her with more work than she can handle.

When Anisya and Nikita are alone, he tells her that in spite of his marriage plans he will always come back to her. Anisya threatens to do violence to herself if Nikita leaves, adding that when her husband dies, Nikita could marry her and become master of the farm. Nikita declares, however, that he is satisfied with his lot. Matryona, Nikita’s mother, comes in and says that Nikita’s marriage is his father’s plan, not her own, and that he need not worry about it. She then asks Nikita to leave the room.

Left alone with Matryona, Anisya confesses her love for Nikita. Matryona, who says that she has known of their affair all along, gives Anisya some poison and advises her to bury her husband before spring; she suggests also that Nikita will make a good master on the farm. Concerning the marriage, she explains that Nikita had an affair with Marina, an orphan girl, and that when Akim, his father, learned about it he had insisted that Nikita marry her. Matryona suggests that they talk the matter over with Peter, who is Nikita’s master. Having explained the situation, Matryona again urges Anisya to use the poison on Peter, who is near death anyway.

At that point Peter and Akim come in, discussing Nikita’s proposed marriage. Peter seems to approve of the match until Matryona tells him that Marina is promiscuous and so has no claim on Nikita. To determine the truth of this charge, Peter sends for Nikita, who falsely swears that there had been nothing between him and Marina. As a result, the marriage is called off. Marina visits Nikita and pleads her love, saying that she has always been faithful to him, but Nikita sends her away, saying that he is no longer interested in her.

Six months later, Anisya and Matryona are worried because Peter is about to die but has not told anyone where his money pouch is hidden. Anisya tells Matryona that she has put the poison into Peter’s tea. As they stand talking in the courtyard, Peter appears on the porch of his house, sees Nikita, who is happening by, and asks his forgiveness, a formal request made by the dying. Nikita is temporarily struck with remorse. Matryona, who then helps Peter back into the house, discovers that the money pouch is hanging by a cord around the sick man’s neck. Anisya goes into the house and comes out again with the money pouch, which she gives to Nikita. She then returns to the house, only to reappear a short time later, wailing a formal lament for Peter, who has just died.

Nine months after Peter’s death, Nikita, who has married Anisya and become the master of the farm, grows tired of his wife and begins an affair with Akoulina, Peter’s daughter by his first marriage. Anisya is afraid to say anything for fear that her murder of Peter will be discovered.

In the following autumn, Matryona arranges a marriage for Akoulina, who has become pregnant by Nikita. Matryona tells the father of the suitor that Akoulina herself cannot be seen...