The Black Monk

Kovrin returns to the Pesotsky estate hoping to restore his fragile mental health. He reconnects with Yegor Pesotsky and, more importantly, with Yegor's daughter Tanya. The family quietly supports his presence, believing the old guardian's influence could steady him.

Kovrin is drawn to Tanya and, moved by the family's confidence in him as a future heir, he proposes marriage. Yegor warmly endorses the match, eager to see Kovrin settle into the estate's leadership. The engagement seems to promise happiness and renewed purpose.

During a garden walk, Kovrin experiences his first unsettling vision—a black monk materializing from a whirl of wind. The apparition appears briefly but leaves a lasting impression, hinting at a special talent within him. The moment marks a turning point in his mood and self-belief.

The black monk tells Kovrin that he is uniquely gifted and destined for greatness. The words flatter him and fill him with energy and a sense of mission. He returns to the household elated, as if a new fate has opened before him.

Kovrin's renewed vitality delights the Pesotsky family, especially Tanya, who smiles at his buoyant mood. He seems more alive, his conversations tinged with grand possibilities. The mansion and garden echo with a fragile sense of promise.

Tanya becomes alarmed when she overhears Kovrin speaking to an empty chair and recognizes the signs of a slipping mind. She insists he seek medical treatment to address what she fears is an illness. The mood shifts from wonder to a tense guardianship over his health.

Kovrin falls under a strict care regimen, including routine milk consumption and daily walks. He resents what he sees as a loss of his inspiration and sense of greatness. He blames Tanya and Yegor for forcing him into confinement.

Feeling stifled and betrayed, he leaves Tanya and the estate behind. The dream of being the visionary heir dissolves into bitterness and isolation. The physical and emotional distance marks a rupture in their relationship.

Years later, Kovrin lives in Crimea, gravely ill with tuberculosis and cared for by an older woman. The change of scenery does little to ease his decline, and the disease dominates his days. The memory of the estate's orchard and his former glory lingers as a distant, fading spark.

Tanya sends a bitter letter informing him of Yegor's death, the sale of the estate, and the orchard's decline. She blames him for the ruin and wishes him a painful, early death. The message sears into Kovrin, compounding his despair.

The letter unsettles him and his health deteriorates further; a severe coughing fit shakes him and he experiences a hallucinatory episode. The vision of the black monk reappears, this time over the horizon of the Black Sea. The line between reality and fantasy collapses.

In his final moments, Kovrin envisions himself back at the Pesotsky estate, chased by a massive whirlwind. He collapses at the manor's doorstep as the whirlwind overtakes him and the estate itself seems to consume his life and ambitions. The end underscores the cost of greatness dreamt but never fully owned.