Part 3 section 5: Levin is again able to keep up, and at a break, one of the men gives him a drink of his kvas. Later Levin sees little boys and girls approaching with the peasant's dinners. He sits with them, as he does not want to go away. One man offers him some of his dinner and they talk about their lives. Levin is pleased with how much they had mown that day so far, but wants more done and encourages the men to continue.
Part 3 section 6: Levin is sorry when the mowing is over and he has to return home. He cleans up and then eats with his brother. A letter from Oblonsky says that Dolly and the children are at their country place in Ergushevo, near Levin, and he asks Levin to go and see them. Koznyshev tells Levin that the peasants do not approve of him working with them.
Part 3 section 7: Oblonsky had to go to Petersburg on business, so while he was away, it was decided to send Dolly and the children to the country to cut down on their expenses. It is an old house, and Oblonsky visited there before Dolly moved there to get things ready, but he had forgotten many things, and Dolly is dismayed when she arrives. Her maid knows how to take care of things though, and soon everything is all right.
Part 3 section 8: At the end of May, Dolly is still living without her husband in the country, but he keeps saying he will come. On one Sunday, Dolly gets her children ready to take to Church, and when they are ready she sees that they are beautiful and pleasant children and is filled with pride for them. She feels that the people in the Church admire them. Dolly has much work to do taking care of all of the children. She takes them swimming, and some women come by, and they talk about the children.
Part 3 section 9: As they are returning to the house, Levin approaches, and Dolly is glad that he will see her with her children and in all her glory. He offers her his help in anything, realizing that her husband should be taking care of everything. She replies that everything is put to right now. The children like Levin and play with him. Dolly tries to talk about Kitty, and Levin tries to change the subject to milking cows.
Part 3 section 10: Dolly brings the subject back to Kitty, and Levin asks how her health is. Dolly says that she is much better and asks Levin if he is angry with Kitty. He tells her that he proposed to her and was rejected, and she tells him that she suspected it, but did not know it. She tells him that he has only pride to suffer, but that Kitty is really suffering. Levin feels his old feelings for Kitty rising again. She tells him that Kitty's refusal proves nothing, and that he should come and visit while she is here, but he remembers Kitty's reply, "No, it cannot be," and decides not to visit. The children start fighting and Dolly's illusions about them disappear as she realizes that they are bad and ill bred. Levin thinks that he will never have children like hers.
Part 3 section 11: In July, an Elder from Levin's sister's village comes to see him on business. He talks vaguely, and Levin thinks that he must go there to see about the apportionment of the hay-harvest himself. He takes over the apportionment, and either the peasants were trying to cheat him, or he had just cheated them with the new apportionment. While he is there he sees a young peasant couple and how happy they are working together.
Part 3 section 12: He watches the young couple work, and then the peasants walk by singing and nodding to him. He admires the peasant's life and the young couple's relationship. He thinks about renouncing his place and taking a peasant wife to live that life, so pure and simple. He sits there all night thinking how to do it, and near dawn a coach drives by. Levin looks in the window and sees Kitty, just waking up. He thinks with disgust about his thoughts of taking a peasant wife, as he is quite in love with Kitty.
Part 3 section 13: Karenin cannot bear to see children or women weeping, and if he does, he is not able to think. After the races when Anna told him everything about Vronsky, she started crying, and Karenin said whatever he could to get away from her. Now that his suspicions are confirmed, he feels relieved of the pity and jealousy he had felt before. He thinks that he is not the guilty one, so he should not be unhappy. He tries to think of what he should do, and thinks about what other men in his position have done. One fought a duel, but he realizes that he cannot do that as he is afraid of looking like a coward and is sure he would be killed or wounded. He then thinks of divorce, but does not want to do that because in order to gain a divorce he would need to gather visual proof of his wife's infidelity and he does not want to be so coarse. He also does not want Anna to be free to be with Vronsky. He thinks about just separating with her, but again, she could be with Vronsky. He does not admit it to himself, but he wants Anna to suffer. He decides that she must return to live with him and that he must do all he can to put an end to the affair.
Part 3 section 14: Karenin writes a note to Anna saying that she must return and they will live as before as a married couple. He tells her that she must do this for herself and for her son, and tells her to return not later than Tuesday. He then tries to read, but cannot, and works on business, deciding to demand that a committee be formed to inquire about the subject races and the irrigation in the Zaraysk Province.
Part 3 section 15: Anna is glad that she told her husband everything, as she now thinks that all of the deception and falsehood will end. Vronsky visited the night before, but she did not tell him that she had told Karenin about them. She imagines that Vronsky is no longer in love with her. A note from Betsy arrives asking her to come and visit, as she is expecting guests of the highest society. Anna does not know what to do. She thinks of her son and realizes that she cannot give him up and that she must leave with him to make sure that Karenin does not try to take him. She decides to go to Moscow, and has the servants start packing.
Part 3 section 16: As they are all working on packing, Anna receives Karenin's letter. In the morning she had wished that she could unsay the words she said to her husband, and now with the letter she realizes that Karenin is practically pretending he did not hear them. She thinks that it is dreadful, and does not want him smothering her anymore as he has during the last eight years. She realizes that in his letter is a threat that he will take their son from her if she does not comply. She weeps, as she sees that the lies and deception will continue, and that things will be worse than before. She decides she must see Vronsky, and leaves for Betsy's, telling the servants they are not going to Moscow.
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