For the first time, Vronsky feels anger—almost hatred—toward Anna Karenina for willfully refusing to understand her own position. This anger is aggravated by his own inability to tell her what he is thinking: that she will be issuing an open challenge to society which will cut her off from it forever. He wonders how she cannot see this obvious truth for herself. His respect for her has diminished while his appreciation of her beauty has intensified. Vronsky goes down to his room and paces, thinking about everyone in society who will be at the theater tonight; from every point of view, Anna Karenina’s going is “stupid.” In despair, he wonders why she is determined to put him in this position.

He leaves for the opera at half-past eight. The performance is well underway, and Vronsky is treated with deference by the servants at the theater. Tonight he is even less interested than usual in the sights and sounds surrounding him—it is the same ladies accompanied by the same officers listening to the same music. Vronsky has not yet seen Anna Karenina, but he knows where she is by the direction of everyone’s eyes.

Fearing the worst, he begins to look discreetly around for Alexey Alexandrovitch; Vronsky is relieved to see not to see him. As he chats with s few of his military friends, Vronsky sees Anna Karenina and knows immediately that something has caused her to strain with everything in her to maintain the appearance of normalcy. The cause of her distress appears to be emanating from the box next to hers. The Kartsovas are well acquainted with her, but now the wife is putting on her fur and walking out of her box in great agitation while the husband tries desperately to catch Anna Karenina’s gaze so he can bow to her before leaving. She assiduously avoids looking at him, though, and he eventually follows his wife out of their box.

Vronsky does not know exactly what happened, but he is seized with a pang of agonizing anxiety; hoping to discover something, Vronsky goes the long way around toward his brother’s box. He is detained by various acquaintances but finally arrives, and his sister-in-law is eager to tell him that Madame Kartsova spoke insulting words to Anna Karenina across the box. Vronsky’s mother appears, unable to suppress her smile of delight, and his brother arrives and wants to go with Vronsky to comfort Anna Karenina.

He is angry that she has put them both in this position, but Vronsky knows he must do something. She is talking about the opera with someone when he arrives, and then the play begins again; soon he notices Anna Karenina has left. When he arrives and they begin their argument where they left it, and he is sorry for her humiliation at the same time he is furious with her. With his words he assures her of his love for her, but in his heart he reproaches her. His words of love seem false and vulgar to him, but she imbibes them eagerly and gradually calms. The next day, completely reconciled, they leave for the country.