: A strange old man arrives in a shelter for the poor. He reassures and comforts the descending people, awakens in them the hope for the best, and then disappears without a trace.

Act 1. The Appearance of Old Man Luke

Spring morning. Bedside for the poor - a cellar with a vaulted ceiling and bunks along the walls. One corner is fenced off with plywood, in the other there is a Russian stove and a bed behind a dirty curtain. In the center of the room is a table with a samovar.

A samovar is hosted by a merchant Kvashnya.

She tells the residents of the dormitory about a boyfriend whom she does not want to marry. Having become a widow, she freed herself from her tyrant husband and does not want to go "to a man in a fortress."

A locksmith working behind a workbench, Mite, says that Kvashnya will get married.

In response, she accuses Mite of bringing his wife to the grave. He is really annoyed by the sick wife Anna, lying on the bed, he is rude to her.

Actor alcoholic wakes up on the stove.

He helps Anna go out into the fresh air and encounters Kostylev, who is looking for his young wife Vasilisa.

Kostylev notices the actor’s good attitude towards the dying. The actor asks Kostylev to cut off half of his debt to him, but he refuses.

How can kindness of heart with money be equal? Kindness is above all good. And your debt to me - this is the duty!

Kostylev knows that Vasilisa is the mistress of the thief Pepl, who lives in a fenced-off corner, but cannot catch them together.

He is afraid of ash, as he buys from him stolen things. The thief was tired of Vasilisa; he was succumbing to her sister Natasha, who rejected his courtship.

Ash has been stealing from childhood, has never worked and is not going to, Mite, on the contrary, considers unemployed people to be torn, living "without honor, without conscience." According to Ash, honor and conscience "you can’t put on shoes instead of boots", they are needed for those "who have power and strength."

A new lodger appears in the rooming house - old man Luke.

At this time, a drunken shoemaker Alyoshka stumbles upon Vasilisa, who is looking for Ashes.

Alyoshka spread gossip that Ashes wants to leave Vasilisa because of Natasha, Vasilisa decides to take revenge, recalls that Alyoshka didn’t pay for his stay, and kicks him out of the rooming house. Upon discovering that there is no Ash, Vasilisa becomes even angrier and leaves.

Police officer Medvedev comes in - he just arrested Alyoshka for disturbing his peace of mind.

Medvedev is the boyfriend of Kvashni. The merchant who returned from the market again refuses to marry him.

Luke introduces Anna into the room. At this time, in the canopy, Vasilisa begins to beat Natasha. Everyone except Luke and Anna rush to separate them.

Act 2. Luke awakens hope in the poor

Evening. Luke is sitting by Anna’s bed.A large company plays cards, Tick and Actor watch the game. Kartuznik Bubnov and Medvedev are playing checkers.

Anna complains to Luka that she saw from her husband only beatings and resentment, she starved all her life, walked in rags. Luke consoles the unfortunate, promises her rest after death.

Having cheated, the poor Baron wins and is going to drink the winnings in the company of the Actor.

They invite Luke with them, but the old man refuses.

The actor discovers that he forgot his favorite poems, which he was going to read to Luke. Luke says that you can’t forget your beloved, and offers the Actor to be treated for drunkenness. He assures that somewhere there is a free hospital for drunkards, the actor only needs to not drink for several days, and the name of the city of Luke will certainly be remembered.

Man - everything can ... if only he wanted ...

At first, the Actor likes the idea of ​​starting life anew, but then he calls Luka an eccentric and leaves.

Anna asks Luka to speak with her. The tick is trying to say something to his wife, but that one is no longer up to him. No one else cares about the dying, only Bubnov rejoices that Anna will no longer cough at night.

Ashes asks Medvedev if Vasilisa beat her sister badly. Medvedev replies that the family does not concern the thief, threatens to arrest him. Then the Ashes promises to give Vasilis and Kostylev, who bought from him stolen goods. Medvedev is retreating.

Luke convinces Ashes that Siberia is “the golden side ... whoever is in power and in reason, there is like a cucumber in a greenhouse.” Ashes are sure that the old man is lying, Luke says that not everyone needs the truth, for many it is deadly.

Ashes asks Luke if there is a God. The old man replies: “If you believe, there is; you don’t believe - no ... What you believe, that is. ” The ashes almost guess who Luka is, but then Vasilisa enters and calls the thief to talk.

Luke overhears their conversation. Ash confesses that he never loved Vasilisa. She offers Ash money and Natasha as a wife if he kills her husband.

Kostylev finds his wife with Ashes and sets up a scandal. Ash grabs Kostylev by the scruff of the neck, but here Luka intervenes and advises the thief not to listen to Vasilisa, but to take Natasha and leave.

Then Anna dies. Luke and Ash go to the tavern to inform Mite about the death of his wife, and the drunk Actor and Natasha enter the room. The actor says goodbye to Natasha, intending to leave for the hospital for drunkards, and after treatment to return to the stage.

Tick ​​has no money to bury his wife - he drank it all. Residents of the rooming house promise to collect as much as they can and calmly go to bed - the corpse does not bother them.

Act 3. Talking about Truth and Human Dignity

Natasha, Luka, Baron, his roommate Nastya and Mite are sitting in the wasteland - the backyard of the rooming house. Bubnov peers out the window. Nastya talks about the handsome student in love with her. The Baron laughs, saying that the story is taken from a novel she read.

Luke leads offended Nastya, affectionately comforting. Natasha admits that she herself is waiting for a special person who will save her from her sister and Kostylev.

The Baron leaves to put up with Nastya. Returning Luke tells how two runaway convicts climbed into the cottage where he served as a watchman. Luke took pity on them, did not kill, and lived with them at this dacha all winter. “Man can teach good,” concludes Luke.

Bubnov says he does not know how to lie and prefers to tell the truth. The tick screams that he hates Luke, his consolation and the truth of Bubnov, and runs away. Luka tells Bubnov that “you can’t always cure your soul with truth,” and he talks about a man who believed that there was a righteous land in the world where everyone respects each other. This faith helped a person live, but once a scientist proved to him that a righteous land does not exist, and a man hanged himself.

Bubnov does not believe, laughs and leaves. Luke declares that he will soon leave "for Ukrainians", where, according to rumors, they opened a new faith.The old man believes: “whoever wants it hard will find,” you just need to help people and respect them.

Ashes again offers Natasha to leave with him, promises to give up theft.

It is necessary to live like this ... so that you can yourself <... ›be respected ...

He asks Natasha to help him change, but the girl does not believe Ash and does not love him. Vasilisa listens to their conversation from the window. Finally, Natasha agrees, but promises to hang herself if the Ashes strike her. Luke encourages the girl - "he needs you more than he needs you."

Vasilisa taunts her sister, alluding to the male impotence of her former lover. Kostylev comes and drives Natasha to set a samovar. Between Ashes and Vasilisa begins a quarrel, which ends Luke.

Kostylev already knows that Luka was about to leave. He believes that a person’s duty is not to wander, but to bring benefits. A wanderer should not interfere in other people's affairs, live as a hermit and pray "for all worldly sins."

Luke objects: there are people who look like a productive land - “that which you do not sow on it will give birth”, but such as Kostylev and God will not correct. Angry Kostylev expels Luke from the overnight stay.

Bubnov believes that “it’s always better to leave on time”, he “saved himself from hard labor by leaving on time.” Bubnov’s wife and her lover wanted to give him lime. Bubnov wanted to kill his wife, but changed his mind and left, leaving all his property - a tannery.

The beggar Satin and the Actor appear who have not been drinking all day.

Sateen tells Luke that in his youth he “killed a scoundrel” while protecting his sister. While he was in prison, his sister died, and Satin became a player.

A tick comes. He sold the whole instrument to bury his wife, and he has nothing to work with, and he is ashamed to become a loafer.

It turns out that Vasilisa knocked a boiling samovar to its feet. The furious Ash pushes Kostylev, he falls and dies. Vasilisa calls him a murderer. In response, Ashes shouted that it was Vasilisa who had persuaded him to kill her husband. Natasha decides that they at the same time and mutilated her on purpose, so as not to interfere. Half-unconscious, she curses the Ashes.

Act 4. After the disappearance of Luke

A night, an overnight stay, where there is no more Ashes room. At the table, the Tick, which has become a beggar, repairs harmony, and Satin, Baron and Nastya drink. Actor coughs on the stove.

Everyone is discussing the disappearance of Luke. Nastya is sorry for the old man who saw and understood everything. Satin compares Luka with a crumb for toothless, and Baron with a plaster for abscesses. The tick considers the old man good - he "had a law in his soul."

Nastya wants to leave the Baron. Satin mockingly advises her to bring along an Actor, who is going to a mythical hospital "half a mile from the end of the world." He believes that the old man lied out of pity for his neighbors. Such a lie is needed by those “who are weak in soul and who live in other people's juices,” but not by who is their own master.

Lying is the religion of slaves and masters ... Truth is the god of a free man!

Nevertheless, the old man acted on Sateen "like acid on an old and dirty coin." One day Satin asked Luke why people live. The old man replied that people think that they live only for their own sake, but in fact they are waiting for the birth of a better person. Therefore, “every person must be respected” - suddenly he was born for happiness and for great benefit.

The Baron recalls his family - immigrants from France. His ancestors served the Russian tsars, held high posts. Nastya screams that there was none of this - she wants Baron to feel offended too. Satin advises him to forget everything.

Nastya says that Natasha escaped from the hospital and disappeared without a trace. I am wondering who will drown anyone deeper - Ashes to Vasilisa or vice versa. Nastya believes that the cunning Vasilisa will turn out, and the Ashes will go to hard labor. She quarrels with the Baron again and runs away.

Sateen asks his friend not to touch the girl; he is kind to everyone today.Looking at the praying Muslim Tatar, Satin argues that in Man - the totality of all people on earth - "all beginnings and ends", and the world around him - "the work of his hands and his brain." It should not be humiliated by pity, but respected, for "man - it sounds proudly."

The Baron does not know how to reason and is afraid. He floated with his life and changed clothes. He studied - wore the uniform of a student, married - tried on a dress coat, went bankrupt - put on a gray jacket and red trousers, served as an official - put on a uniform and a cap, stole government money - received a prison coat, now wears cloths, but he did not understand why he was born. Having reasoned, the Baron goes to put up with Nastya.

The actor drinks a glass of vodka and runs out of the room. Enter drunk Bubnov and Medvedev with vodka and a snack, treat everyone. Alyoshka plays the repaired Tick accordion. They laugh at Medvedev - he was fired from the police, now he is subordinate to Kvashna, and she is rumored to beat him. Drinking buddies, having fun singing, gather in a tavern.

Then the frightened Baron reports that the Actor hanged himself in the wasteland. Sateen quietly says: “Eh ... ruined the song ... dur-cancer!”.