On the wedding day, Levin follows tradition and does not see his bride until the ceremony. Instead, he dines with three friends: Sergey Ivanovitch, his half-brother; Katavasov, an old university friend and current professor of natural science; and Tchirikov, his best man and hunting companion. They are an animated and original bunch.

They conduct a lively conversation regarding the benefits and drawbacks of marriage, and the general consensus of all but Levin is that being married is likely to keep a man from everything he loves, such as hunting, and take all the joy from pursuits such as farming. Levin does not want to disillusion his bachelor friends by telling them that there are wonderful things in marriage, as well, so he remains silent.

When the conversation turns to fear of giving up the bachelor life, Levin confesses he has no feelings of regret. Without actually using the word love, Levin assures them that just the opposite is true; he is happy to lose his freedom by marrying Kitty. His friends continue to make jokes and toasts until after dinner, when they leave Levin alone to dress for the wedding.

While he is dressing, Levin ponders the conversations with the bachelors earlier that afternoon and asks himself again whether he has any regrets about getting married and losing his freedom. The question amuses him, for freedom is happiness, but for him, happiness is found “only in loving and wishing her wishes, thinking her thoughts.” Suddenly, though, he wonders fearfully whether he even knows Kitty’s thoughts, wishes, and feelings. Now a sense of dread and doubt fills him—doubt about everything.

He wonders whether Kitty might be marrying him simply to avoid being single and might one day realize what she has done and that she does not and cannot love him. Suddenly evil thoughts come to his mind, and he is as jealous of Vronsky as he was a year ago, wondering whether Kitty has told him everything. With bitter despair and anger in his heart, Levin decides he will ask Kitty whether she really wants to marry him. Anything would be better than the endless misery, disgrace, and unfaithfulness he is imagining, so he goes to her house. Kitty is sorting the colorful dresses that are spread all over the room.

Kitty beams in delight when she sees him, a sharp contrast to Levin’s gloomy demeanor. She notices his strangeness and a sense of panic washes over her before Levin begins to speak. He tells her he is in agony, but when he looks at her, he realizes what he desperately needs is her reassurance. He speaks incoherent phrases, but Kitty gathers that Levin does not want to marry her if she is not certain she loves him, and she tells him he is acting crazy. When she insists he tell her what he is thinking, Levin says he wonders how she could ever love him. Both end up in tears, and Kitty tells Levin that she loves him because everything he likes is good, and Levin is satisfied. Five minutes later, Kitty’s mother finds them completely reconciled.

Levin is quickly shooed away and must rush through his remaining preparations before the ceremony.