Chapter Part Two: II "Princess Mary" of A Hero of our Time - Study Guide by Mikhail Lermontov

casually scathing about Mary's singing and fails to make conversation with her later. He reveals that he knows that Mary will fall in love with him and spends the rest of the evening talking to Vera.

29th May:

Pechorin continues his schemes to attract Mary and successfully draws her attention completely away from Grushnitsky, about whom she is now very reticent.

3rd June:

Pechorin contemplates his callous behaviour in trying to win the heart of a young girl whom he does not love, thinking over his own ability for love and musing the nature of passions.

Grushnitsky receives his commission and comes to tell Pechorin. That evening they join a large party on a walk and Pechorin walks with Mary, who reveals that she is scared of the darkness of his character. Pechorin saddens her with a description of the pitiful nature of his mental state and then asks her if she has ever been in love. On the return walk she is very quiet and obviously lost in thought. Pechorin senses the first stage of his triumph but bemoans the predictability of the whole affair.

4th June:

Pechorin sees Vera, who, believing him to be in love with Mary is very jealous. She makes Pechorin promise to go to Kislovodsk, another nearby spa-town where she is going in two days, and rent the house next to the one she will be sharing with the Ligovskayas. Finding out about a ball the next evening from Grushnitsky, who is hoping to spend the whole evening dancing with Mary in his new officer's uniform, Pechorin himself engages her for the mazurka when he sees her later at her house.

5th June:

At the ball both Pechorin and Mary slight Grushnitsky on his appearance in his new officer's uniform. He is furious at this and also at the fact that Pechorin has engaged her for the mazurka. For the rest of the evening Pechorin is not able to get near her, as it seems there is a plot to keep her otherwise engaged, mainly dancing with Grushnitsky. Pechorin, however, is not worried, as he knows that this will only make her want to be in his company even more in the long run.

6th June:

Pechorin sees Vera as she leaves for Kislovodsk. She looks reproachful. He spends an hour at the princesses' house but does not see Mary, who is ill. He also sees Grushnitsky, who seems very put out. Feeling that something is missing in account of having not seen Mary Pechorin wonders if he is in love, but quickly dismisses the idea.

7th June:

Pechorin visits Mary at her house and finds her upset and claiming that he does not respect her. He leaves her crying. Later he hears from Werner the rumour that is about town that he intends to marry the young princess, and realises that this gossip must be being spread by Grushnitsky. He therefore resolves that Grushnitsky should not get away with his behaviour.

10th June:

Pechorin has now been three days in Kislovodsk, on each of which he has seen Vera. Grushnitsky has arrived the day before, now hardly acknowledges Pechorin and seems to have become a little aggressive in his manner.

11th June:

Pechorin dines at the lodgings in Kislovodsk of Princess Ligovskaya, who has that day arrived with Mary.

12th June:

Pechorin rides one evening with a large group including Princess Mary to see the sun set through a circular stone called the ring. On the return journey they have to ford a stream. Mary, looking down, grows faint and Pechorin just saves her from falling from the saddle. He kisses her on the cheek. She tries to find out from him if he loves her, and when he refuses to answer she leaves him for the company of the others.

On his way home Pechorin creeps up to a window to look into an officers' drinks party and overhears a dragoon captain and Grushnitsky plotting to make a fool of Pechorin in a duel, the idea being that the pistols will not be loaded and that Pechorin will "funk it" and thus be humiliated. Pechorin is furious and resolves that Grushnitsky will pay dearly. He cannot sleep all night.