Denis Dragunsky has repeatedly noted that his favorite form is short stories, or, as a compromise, a short story. And suddenly, a great novel, and what a novel! An estate on the outskirts of the Empire, a young heiress of an old noble family, who with her extravagant behavior keeps all her relatives in fear, young conspirators, planted money, a revolver under her blouse, luxury apartments, a cheap apartment on the outskirts, an Italian prince, a Russian teacher, chases, scandals, smart talk - and the constant debilitating lies that permeated the destinies and minds of Europe on the eve of the First World War. Novel-story, novel-metaphor, novel-mystery.