Approaching the crying girl

The Dreamer's first encounter with Nastenka on the Canal Embankment is the pivotal moment that brings the story's two solitary figures together, transforming a chance meeting into the foundation of a brief, intense relationship that defines the narrative. This intervention, driven by the Dreamer's instinctive compassion and his own longing for human connection, breaks his lifelong isolation and establishes the emotional dynamic that will unfold over the subsequent white nights.

The Setting and the Dreamer's State

The encounter occurs late at night on the Canal Embankment, a remote part of Petersburg where the Dreamer, returning from a walk in the countryside, finds himself alone. He is in an unusually happy mood, humming to himself—a habit of those who have no one with whom to share their joy. The night is quiet and deserted, and the Dreamer is absorbed in his own thoughts when he notices a young woman leaning on the canal railing, apparently absorbed in the muddy water. She wears a charming yellow hat and a jaunty black mantle, and the Dreamer immediately guesses she is dark-haired. He passes her with bated breath and a loudly throbbing heart, but then hears a muffled sob, followed by more sobs. His heart sinks, and despite his habitual timidity with women, he feels compelled to act.

The Intervention

Before the Dreamer can find the right words to address her, the girl, startled by his presence, hurries away along the embankment. He follows, but she crosses the road to avoid him. At that moment, a drunken gentleman in evening dress appears, staggering and leaning against the wall. The girl flees, but the gentleman pursues her, and she shrieks. The Dreamer, blessed with a knotted stick in his right hand, rushes across the street. The obtrusive gentleman, seeing the stick and grasping the irresistible argument, falls back without a word, though he protests from a distance. The Dreamer then offers the girl his arm, saying, "Give me your arm. And he won't dare to annoy us further." She takes his arm without a word, still trembling with excitement and terror.

The First Conversation

As they walk, the Dreamer steals a glance at her and confirms she is charming and dark-haired, with a tear still glistening on her black eyelashes. A smile already gleams on her lips. She blushes faintly and looks down. The Dreamer, delighted by her intelligence, confesses his extreme shyness with women, admitting he has never held a pretty hand before and is a complete stranger to female company. Nastenka responds with unexpected warmth, saying women like such timidity and that she will not drive him away until she gets home. This openness emboldens the Dreamer, who pours out his heart about his lonely life, his habit of dreaming of an ideal woman, and his fantasy of speaking to an aristocratic lady in the street. Nastenka listens with amusement and sympathy, and when they reach her street, she agrees to meet him again the next evening at the same hour, on the condition that he does not fall in love with her. The Dreamer, overwhelmed with joy, walks all night, unable to go home, and the encounter becomes the foundation of their subsequent meetings.

Significance

This first meeting establishes the core relationship of the story: the Dreamer's immediate, intense emotional investment in Nastenka, and her reciprocal trust and openness, which she herself acknowledges as unusual. The Dreamer's intervention not only protects her but also provides him with the real-life connection he has long craved, momentarily breaking his cycle of solitary fantasy. The encounter also introduces the key themes of loneliness, chance, and the transformative power of human contact, setting the stage for the romantic tension and eventual heartbreak that follow.