In Paris by Ivan Bunin. Short summary

5 seconds

Two lonely people meet in Paris: a former white general and a Russian waitress. She moves in with the man. Soon he dies, and the girl is alone again.

1 minute

This man, who had experienced a lot in life, could not have been more than forty, if it were not for his gray hair. Once his wife leaves him, and now he lives with that pain. One day he walks into a Russian canteen. A young woman takes his order. The man pays attention to the girl’s manicure and expensive shoes.

The next day, Nikolai Platonovich comes again and gets acquainted with Olga. He invites her to the cinema. It seems to him that this is the long-awaited meeting. Nikolai Platonovich waits by the subway. Olga arrives in an evening gown and gloves.

During the session, they quietly tell each other about themselves. Then he suggests they go to a cafe. There again they talk frankly about their experiences. After the cafe, Nikolai takes Olga to his place. She moves in with him a day later, having resigned from the canteen. In the winter Nikolai puts all his money in her name, and on Easter he dies. Olga returns home after the funeral, removes his old overcoat from a hanger and, pressing it to her face, sobs.