Classes in the sixth company are coming to an end. Junior officers begin to compete - who better cut down a clay scarecrow with a saber. The turn of the young lieutenant Grigory Romashov is suitable.

He was of medium height, thin, and although quite strong for his build, he was embarrassed by his great shyness.

Romashov did not know how to fencing, even at school, and now nothing works for him.

Lieutenant Romashov spends all evenings until midnight with the Nikolaevs. In the afternoon, he promises himself not to walk, not to bother people, but in the evening of the next day he returns to this cozy house.

At home, Romashov finds a letter from Raisa Alexandrovna Peterson, with whom they dirty, boring, and for quite some time have been deceiving her husband. The sickly smell of Raisa’s spirits and the vulgar-playful tone of the letter evoke intolerable disgust in Romashov.

After half an hour, embarrassed and annoyed at himself, Romashov knocks on Nikolayev. Vladimir Efimich Nikolaev is busy. For two years now, he has been failing exams at the academy. You can only act three times, and his wife Alexandra Petrovna, Shurochka, does everything so that the last chance is not missed. Helping her husband get ready, Shurochka has already mastered the whole program, only ballistics is not given to her, Volodya is moving very slowly. Shurochka wants her husband to pass exams and take her out of this wilderness.

Am I really so uninteresting as a man and ugly as a woman to sour my whole life in this slum, in this nasty place that is not found on any geographical map!

With Romochka (that’s what she calls Romashova), Shurochka is discussing a newspaper article about the fights recently permitted in the army. She considers them necessary, otherwise a cheater or a drunkard like Nazansky would not be among the officers. Romashov does not want to enroll Nazansky in this company, who believes that not everyone is given the ability to love, like talent. Once Shurochka rejected this man, and her husband hates the lieutenant. This time, Romashov is sitting with the Nikolaevs, until it is time to sleep.

At home he is waiting for another note from Peterson, in which she threatens cruel revenge for Romashov for his neglect. A woman knows where Romashov happens every day and who he is passionate about.

At the nearest regimental ball, Romashov tells his mistress that everything is over. Petersonyha swears revenge. Soon, Nikolaev begins to receive anonymous letters with hints of the special relationship of the second lieutenant with his wife. Romashov is not sure that Raisa writes anonymous letters. Grigory has enough ill-wishers - he does not allow officers to fight, forbids the soldiers to be beaten.

Dissatisfied with Romashov and his superiors. With the money, the second lieutenant is getting worse, the barman no longer lets out even cigarettes. Romashov’s soul is bad because of a feeling of boredom, the meaninglessness of service and loneliness.

In late April, Romashov receives a note from Alexandra Petrovna with a reminder of their common birthday. Having borrowed money from Lieutenant Colonel Rafalsky, Romashov buys perfume and goes to Nikolaev. Romashov sits next to Shurochka at a noisy picnic and experiences a strange state, like a dream. His hand sometimes touches Shurochkoy hand, but they do not look at each other.

He saw that a big, new, feverish feeling was flowing in her, trembling and begging out.

After the feast, Romashov wanders into the grove. Shurochka follows and says that today she is in love with him, and the day before she saw him in a dream. Romashov begins to talk about love. She admits that she cares about his closeness, they have common thoughts, desires, but she must abandon him. Shurochka does not want to be caught, and goes back. On the way, she asks Romashov not to be with them anymore: her husband is besieged by anonymous letters.

In mid-May, the corps commander goes around the companies built on the parade ground, watches their training and remains dissatisfied. Only the fifth company, where soldiers are not tormented by shagistics and do not steal from a common boiler, deserves praise.

During the ceremonial march, Romashov feels a matter of general admiration. Dreaming, he knocks down the system.

Instead of two straight, slender lines, his entire half-company was ugly, broken in all directions, shy as a sheep flock, a crowd.

Instead of delight, public shame falls on his lot. To this is added an explanation with Nikolaev, demanding to stop the flow of anonymous letters and not to be in their house. Romashov admits that he knows the author of the anonymous letters and promises to maintain Shurochka’s reputation.

Going over what happened, Romashov quietly approaches the railway track and sees in the darkness a soldier who is constantly bullied in the company. He asks the soldier if he would like to kill himself, and he, choking on sobs, tells that he is being beaten, laughing, the platoon extorts money, and the teaching is beyond his power: from childhood he has a hernia.

Now Romashov’s own troubles seem frivolous. He understands: faceless companies and regiments consist of such soldiers who are sick with their grief and have their own destiny.

From this night Romashov is changing - often retiring and avoiding the society of regimental officers.

He had definitely matured, grown older and more serious in recent days, and he himself noticed this from the sad and even calmness with which he now treated people and phenomena.

Forced estrangement from the officer community allows Romashov to focus on his thoughts. He sees more clearly that there are only three worthy callings: science, art, and free physical labor.

At the end of May, a soldier is hung in the company of Osadchy. After this incident, hard drinking begins. In the meeting, Romashov finds Nikolaev. There is a quarrel between them. Nikolaev swings at Romashov, and he splashes the remains of beer in his face.

A meeting of the officer court of honor is scheduled. Nikolaev asks Romashov not to mention his wife and anonymous letters. The court determines that the quarrel cannot be ended by reconciliation.

Romashov spends most of the day before the fight at Nazansky, who convinces him not to shoot. Life is an amazing and unique phenomenon. Does he really adhere to the military class? Does he really believe in the highest sense of the army order so that he is ready to stake his very existence at stake?

In the evening, at home, Romashov finds Shurochka. She says she spent years building her husband’s career. If Romochka refuses to fight for the sake of love for her, then all the same there will be something dubious in this and Volodya will probably not be admitted to the exam. They must shoot, but not one of them should be injured. The husband knows and agrees. She hugs his neck and presses hot lips to his mouth.

And then both of them, and the whole room, and the whole world were immediately filled with some unbearably blissful, sultry nonsense.

Some time later, Shurochka leaves forever.

Details of the duel between Lieutenant Nikolayev and Second Lieutenant Romashov are described in the report to the colonel. When, on command, the opponents met each other, Lieutenant Nikolaev wounded the second lieutenant in the right upper abdomen with a shot, and he died seven minutes later from internal hemorrhage. The testimony of a junior doctor is attached to the report.