Anna Karenina rides comfortably in her carriage on the way to Dolly’s house and now she sees her position quite differently from how it had seemed at home. Death seems more distant and less inevitable. She scolds herself for her humiliating behavior and wonders how she will live without Vronsky.

The question is too difficult, so she looks out the window and thinks about telling Dolly everything, even though she will be ashamed. When she was young she would never have imagined that she would come to such humiliation. Anna Karenina is afraid Dolly will think she is leaving her second husband so she must be the one in the wrong. Anna Karenina thinks about losing everything, including her son. Everything will be lost if she does not get Seryozha back. She loathes even riding in his carriage with his horses, but she will not see him again.

Anna Karenina prepares what she will say and “works her heart up to great bitterness.” Dolly is with her sister Kitty. Anna Karenina remembers this is the woman Vronsky was once in love with, the girl he thinks of with love and is sorry not to have married. Anna Karenina is certain Vronsky now thinks of her with nothing but hatred and is sorry he ever met her.

The sisters are discussing nursing, but Dolly goes alone to see her when Anna Karenina calls. They talk about Stepan Arkadyevitch’s work on getting her divorce, and Anna Karenina asks if someone was with her. Kitty has stayed in the nursery, for she has been ill. When Dolly goes to get the letter, Anna Karenina wonders if Kitty finds it degrading to meet with her. She understands that, in her position, she cannot be received by any decent women. She sacrificed everything for Vronsky and this is her payment. Now she regrets coming here, for she is even more miserably aware of her position.

In the next room she can hear the sisters talking. Anna Karenina thinks it would be “interesting” to show Kitty how she despises everyone and everything, how nothing matters to her now. Dolly returns and Anna Karenina asks why Kitty is avoiding her. Dolly is a poor liar but says Kitty is delighted to see her and will be here in a moment.

Kitty was in conflict between antagonism toward this bad woman and her innate desire to be nice to her. One she sees Anna Karenina’s lovely face, however, the antagonism disappears. Kitty feels as if the other woman is looking at her with hostile eyes, but she sympathizes with her awkward position and feels sorry for her. The women talk of many things, but it is obvious that nothing interests Anna Karenina and she rises to leave. She tells Kitty she is glad to have seen her, for she has heard so much about her, even from her husband. There is unmistakable malice in her tone. Innocently, Kitty tells her Levin is in the country and looks at her with compassion. Anna Karenina tells Dolly good-bye and leaves.

Kitty remarks that she is still a very lovely and charming woman but there is something awfully piteous about her. Dolly agrees, noting that there was something unusual about her today, for in the hall Anna Karenina was nearly crying.