In one of the St. Petersburg apartment buildings on the Catherine’s Canal, the family of the official Ignat Vasilich Dorogov lives. He has six children, the eldest of them is Nadia, she is twenty years old. The mother of the family, Anna Andreevna, is an exemplary mistress. Coziness and tranquility reign in the house.

The grandfather and grandmother of Anna Andreevna were poor Petersburg bourgeoisie. Their daughter, Mavra Matveyevna, who was smart, pretty, and hardworking, was married to a petty official Chizhikov. Housekeeping and energy of the Mavra Matveevna led to the fact that wealth appeared in the family. Anna Andreevna was her youngest daughter. From childhood, she was accustomed to order and a secure existence. When Anna Andreevna married Ignat Vasilich, their relationship was not easy. The young husband led a very dissolute life, and this caused his wife a lot of suffering, until she finally managed to take it in her hands, to accustom him to the house. Ignat Vasilich became domovite, but in his character appeared severity and gloom, which are especially noticeable in his relations with children.

When guests arrive, the house becomes more fun. The Dorokhovs often have officials Egor Ivanovich Molotov, Makar Makarych Kasimov, Semen Vasilich Rogozhnikov, Dr. Fedor Ilyich Benediktov. One such evening Rogozhnikov tells the story of his director, who did not allow the petty official Menshov to marry a poor girl. Menshov was offered a raise with the condition of rejection of the bride, but he refused. Then the director slandered his subordinate to the bride. The wedding was upset, and Menshov received a promotion.

Nadia Dorogova was brought up in a closed institute, but her memories of college life were never pleasant to her. And no wonder: there were ugly orders. Classy ladies did not hesitate to take bribes from pupils, the guilty girls were kept in the infirmary, wearing straitjackets on them. In the upbringing there was a lot of artificial, false.

After leaving the institute, Nadia spends a lot of time reading. Dreams of a husband and his household interspersed with dreams of love. Nadia has grooms, but she refuses them. The girl often talks with Molotov, a regular guest in their house. She addresses him with a variety of questions. It seems to Nadia that Molotov is somewhat unlike other acquaintances.

Molotov comes to the artist Mikhail Mikhaylych Cherevanin, a relative of Dorogov. Mikhail Mikhaylych is a talented and original person, but unstable. In love, he was unlucky, and he became a cynic. Once he loved home comfort, but now he settled in an untidy workshop in Sands. Molotov found Cherevanin a company of frustrating youth, among whom he was surprised to notice the sons of acquaintances of officials. Drunken youths rant about topical issues.

Molotov and Cherevanin, leaving the laughing guests, go to Nevsky. Molotov reproaches the artist for his hectic life. He describes his state of mind: everything is indifferent, everything seems insignificant. Cherevanin calls his way of thinking "cemetery." As a child, he lived near the cemetery and since then has learned to see gloomy sides in everything. However, the artist promises to start a new life, to work hard.

Evening at the Dorokhovs. Here and Molotov, and Cherevanin, and the young Kasimov, who just yesterday wanted to become an artist, and now he is glad that he got the position of an official. Molotov talks about the beginning of his career. He became an official not by vocation, but at the invitation of a friend who got him a place ... Egor Ivanovich does not want to continue the story.

Ignat Vasilich retires to his office with the Secretary of State General Podtyazhin. Cherevanin tells Molotov about his not entirely successful attempts to start a new life.

Alone with Cherevanin, Nadia asks him about Molotov. The artist recalls how Molotov was assigned to the investigation in the case of the woman who killed her husband. Egor Ivanovich pitied the criminal, and since then he believes that it is not people who are guilty of atrocities, but the environment. He became indulgent to all, but not to himself.

Father announces to Nadya that General Podtyazhin is getting married to her. The girl is terrified: the general is unpleasant to her. But parents do not want to hear about the refusal. Nadia decides to consult with Molotov. The conversation ends with the fact that Nadia and Yegor Ivanovich declare to each other in love.

Molotov asks for the hands of Nadezhda Ignatovna. But Ignat Vasilich is furious - he is especially indignant that his daughter was kissing Molotov. Yegor Ivanovich was refused home, and his father tells his daughter to throw Molotov out of his head. Cherevanov comforts Nadia, advises her not to be afraid of anything and stand her ground.

It takes three days. Roads celebrate the birthday of Nadezhda Ignatovna. Cherevanov in a conversation with Nadia acutely characterizes the guests. Ignat Vasilich before all calls Nadia the bride of General Podtyazhin. However, Nadia announces that she will only marry Molotov.

Numerous relatives are amazed at this scene. The next day, when they met with Dorogov, they advised him to open Nadia’s eyes to Molotov: he is also an atheist, they say, and a lecher. There is some truth to these accusations: indeed, Molotov had a mistress. However, Nadia does not want to believe anything.

Then the father announces to his daughter that she will remain an old maid. Nadia is afraid that her father will raise her hand. Seeing the horror on his daughter's face, Ignat Vasilich begins to feel his guilt before her, but somehow he does not have the determination to forgive Nadia.

Molotov spends time waiting. Finally, unable to withstand inaction, he goes to General Podtyazhin and explains that Nadia loves him, Molotov. The general, without hesitation, agrees to abandon such an eccentric girl and decides to marry Kasimov’s daughter. Egor Ivanovich and Podtyazhin together go to the Dorogovs. The general speaks with Ignat Vasilich. He is somewhat discouraged, but there is nothing to do ... Nadia's parents agree to her marriage to Molotov.

Molotov tells the bride about his past. After disappointment in the civil service, he tried to engage in free labor, tried various professions, worked in an inn, was a teacher, writer, but realized that the department provides a better person. He wanted money, comfort, "philistine happiness" and had to become an official again. Not everyone is allowed to be heroes, and therefore it remains only to "honestly enjoy life." Nadia agrees with her fiance in everything.