Summary
It was as if a surplus of something so
overflowed her being that it expressed itself beyond her will, now
in the brightness of her glance, now in her smile.
(See Important Quotations Explained)
Vronsky waits for his mother at the train station. Before
she appears, Vronsky sees a woman with gentle, shining gray eyes whose
face becomes animated at the sight of him. This is Anna Karenina,
whom Stiva has come to the station to meet. Anna and Vronsky briefly
exchange glances. Vronsky’s mother appears and introduces Vronsky
to Anna. As they are leaving the station, a worker is run over by
a train and killed—whether it is suicide or an accident is unclear.
Anna gloomily views the death as a bad omen.
Stiva takes Anna to his home, where Dolly, devastated
by grief over her husband’s adultery, wishes to see no one. But
Anna, having heard about the betrayal, insists on seeing Dolly and
meets her warmly and compassionately. She does not attempt to console
Dolly but is deeply sympathetic. She tells Dolly that Stiva is suffering
and that he is capable of total repentance. Dolly feels much better.
Later that day, Kitty arrives at the Oblonsky residence,
and Anna receives her warmly. Anna hears about Kitty’s interest
in Vronsky, and says she met Vronsky at the station and liked him.
At teatime, Dolly emerges from her rooms, and Kitty and Anna understand
that Dolly and Stiva have been reconciled. They discuss the upcoming ball,
and Kitty urges Anna to wear a lilac-colored dress. Later, Vronsky
stops by the Oblonsky household and seems ashamed when he sees Anna.
At the ball held not long afterward, Vronsky dances the
first dance with Kitty, who looks radiant. Anna appears, dressed
not in lilac but in black, which Kitty immediately realizes is Anna’s
best color. Kitty is puzzled by Anna’s refusal to respond when Vronsky bows
to her. Kitty dances many waltzes with Vronsky but later finds Anna
and Vronsky dancing together. Anna looks elated and triumphant.
For the final mazurka, Kitty turns away her suitors, expecting Vronsky
to ask her to dance. She is stunned to see that Vronsky has spurned
her to dance the last dance with Anna.
Meanwhile, Levin gloomily reflects on his life after Kitty’s
rejection. He decides to pay a visit to his brother Nikolai. Upon
arriving, Levin finds his sickly brother much thinner than he remembered. Nikolai
introduces Levin to his companion, Marya Nikolaevna, whom he saved
from a whorehouse. Over dinner, Nikolai speaks at length about his
socialist views. Marya privately tells Levin that Nikolai drinks
too much. Levin leaves, having made Mary promise to write to him
in case of need. Levin returns to his country estate, grateful for
the blessings of his peaceful existence.
At the Oblonskys’, Anna and Dolly dine together by themselves. Anna
is unwell, and Kitty sends word that she has a headache. Anna expresses
her amazement at having danced with Vronsky. She is confident that
Vronsky will still pursue Kitty, but Dolly is not so sure. Anna
leaves for St. Petersburg, relieved to escape Vronsky. On the train
she is tormented by self-doubt, unsure of who she is. As the train
pauses at a station, Anna glimpses Vronsky on the platform and feels
a joyful pride. He has followed her from Moscow.
