Chapter 6 Summary

After Vladimir leaves, Eugene loses all interest in his game. Olga, too, becomes bored and looks around for Vladimir. Finally, the evening's done, and the guests go to makeshift beds throughout the house. Olga and Tatyana's rooms are filled with girls. Tatyana, though, cannot sleep, and sits by the window. She is confused by Eugene's performance and thinks that death will be a relief from her unrequited love.

Meanwhile, Zaretsky, one of Vladimir Lensky's neighbors, is a mischief-maker and joker. In the future, he will settle down as a peaceful father and landowner, but now he is always up to trouble, playing tricks on people and making his neighbors look foolish. Only occasionally is he caught out and made to pay for his mean-spirited pranks. One of his hobbies is stirring up trouble between friends.

Since Zaretsky is an intelligent fellow, Eugene occasionally...