Gurov had always pursued his desires with a vengeance; it was just that up until this point in time, he had never really experienced true love. He ultimately did not want to lose the 'warm and fuzzy' feelings that true love afforded him, thus in essence, he remained selfish and hedonistic even after his 'internal makeover'. In considering this, it is important to understand that while Gurov did experience significant changes regarding his views of women, his ridding himself of bitterness and his newfound ability to feel love, an evolution of morality did not occur as readily as many readers might initially assume. This is particularly apparent when he continues to blame women for his own romantic failings of the past:

"He always seemed to women different from what he was, and they loved in him not himself, but the man created by their imagination, whom they had been eagerly seeking all their lives; and afterwards, when they noticed their mistake,...

And not one of them had been happy with him. Time passed, he had made their acquaintance, got on with them, parted, but he had never once loved; it was anything you like, but not love."
Here, Dmitri still fails to take responsibility for his part in becoming a man in need of transformation in order to achieve salvation. Simply put, had he been a more honorable and loyal man in the first place, a conversion to the 'moral good' would not be necessary. By the same token, had he treated the women in his past with the respect they deserved, he would likely have been treated better by them.

Works Cited

Chekhov. Anton Pavlovich. "The Lady with the Dog."

Fulford, Robert. "Surprised by Love: Chekhov and 'The Lady with the Dog'." Queen's Quarterly 111:3. (Fall 2004), 331-41

Stanion, Charles "Oafish Behavior in 'The Lady with the Pet Dog'." Studies in Short Fiction. 30.3. (1993). 402-403.