Chapter 2 Summary

A week has passed since Gurov and the lady with the dog have become acquainted. One evening, they go to the groyne together, the harbor, to watch the evening steamer come in. They watch the new arrivals disembark, and as the crowd begins to disperse, he puts his arms around her and kisses her passionately. They disengage, breathless, and walk quickly toward her hotel. When they reach her hotel room, Gurov looks at her and begins to remember the women he has had in the past. There are some that are good-natured and cheerful lovers, and some like his wife who are hysterical and without passion in their love.

Anna is different from these women. She is still extremely young and inexperienced. As a result, she agonizes over her fall from her role as dutiful, faithful wife to "the woman who was a...