 Judging by the first verses of this original rough copy, the author's initial intention was to write about his own adventures ("Sure, my predecessors' paths are slippery / And yet I'm eager to publish my own tale").Having changed his mind, Lermontov re-worked Verses 1–4 and made his "best friend" the poem's central figure.Both versions relate to one particular plotline, concerning the "house in Presnya" where Tirza and several other women abide.