The film comprises four novellas: (1) “From Boredom”. A wealthy matron, bored with life, embarks on a romance with her children’s romantic tutor. (2) “Nerves”. Haunted by tales of the supernatural, Vak­s­in can’t sleep and is found in the morning napping on the governess’s chest. (3) “The Avenger”. A husband plans to kill his unfaithful wife but abandons the plot when he dreads the punishment to come. (4) “The Proposal”. A tragicomic matchmaking tale of landowner Lomov wooing his neighbor’s daughter.