Section 2: Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 Summary

In Chapter 2, Vladimir frequently walks through the garden to shoot crows, but one day he hears voices from across the fence to the lodge. He looks across the fence to see a tall, slender girl with four young men clustered around her as she taps them on the forehead with small, grey flowers. Vladimir would give anything to have his forehead tapped by the girl with the enchanting movements. One man calls to Vladimir, chiding him for staring at an unknown young lady. Vladimir nearly faints as the girl looks at him and begins to laugh. He blushes and runs to his room where he rests, his heart "deliciously constricted" by the image of the girl next door. Vladimir nearly tells his father everything but checks the impulse. In the third chapter, Vladimir takes a stroll in...