The Holy Love by Alexandr Kuprin. Short summary

5 seconds

A young man falls in love with his neighbor and proposes to her. He discovers that she is a minx and suffers. He will no longer have such strong feelings in his future life.

1 minute

The host tells the guests a story from his youth. He was in love with a girl, Helena, who lived with her mother next door. The young man was innocent and had platonic feelings for his beloved.

Often the girl was visited by an unpleasant old uncle. Helena told the young man that the old man helped her and her mother. The young man began to visit Elena’s house. Daring, the young student proposes to his beloved.

Encouraged by her consent, he walks around the city at night. On the boulevard he spots a couple in love on a bench. Passing by, he recognizes Helena’s voice. The girl talks about her future marriage and laughs at the naivety of the groom, his belief that the old lover is her uncle. The most important thing for Elena is that her future husband does not find out about her affairs before the wedding.

Hearing all this, the young student fell into despair and longing. In his future life there will never be such bright and strong feelings.