Anna Karenina greets Vronsky. He is glad she is in a good mood because he is feeling particularly good tonight as well. He sees the boxes and is glad she wants to go back to the country. His condescending tone is infuriating to her, and Anna Karenina feels the “lust of strife” rising up in her again; however, she conquers it. She explains that she can wait for the divorce in the country as easily as in the city, and she is no longer going to let the divorce influence her life. Vronsky is uneasy at her excited face but agrees. He tells her about the dinner and the woman from Sweden who came to give then a swimming demonstration; immediately Anna Karenina is jealous again. She shakes her head as though trying to get rid of an unpleasant idea and says she wants to leave for the country the day after tomorrow.

Vronsky agrees until he remembers that he has an appointment with his mother that day; he cannot gather the deeds or the money by tomorrow so he must keep the appointment. Suddenly Anna Karenina is adamant that they will leave Monday or never. Vronsky is amazed at the transformation. To him this is nonsense, but she claims that is because he does not care anything for her or want to understand her life. The one thing here that she cares for is the girl, and he claimed it is unnatural for her to love the English girl more than her own daughter.

For a moment she sees clearly exactly what she is doing and is horrified at how she has fallen from her resolution. Even though she knows this will lead to her own ruin, she cannot keep herself from doing it. Vronsky repeats what he did say, but Anna Karenina accuses him of lying and says if he does not love her anymore it would be better and more honest of him to say so directly.

Vronsky exclaims that this is becoming unbearable; he asks why she persists in trying his patience, for it does have limits. The undisguised hatred on his face, and especially his cruel, menacing eyes, strike terror in Anna Karenina and she asks what he means. When he finally asks what she wants from him, she tells him that she wants many things, but all of them are secondary to his love.

The rest of their argument is fruitless, and in the end Anna Karenina sees even more clearly that this “must be ended.” She ponders her options and thinks about how others are going to look at her now. At the bottom of her heart is an obscure idea that she cannot quite grasp. It finally comes to her that her dying would solve everything. Her shame would be gone and others will suffer on her account.

As she is pondering these things, Vronsky comes to her. He agrees to everything and they will go as she planned. She tells him to cast her off so that she will not make him so wretched: he will then be free to love the other woman. Vronsky assures her that none of it is true and he has never stopped loving her. When the tears begin, the argument is over.