- Anna hadn't expected that seeing her son again would have such a powerful effect on her. Sitting in her hotel room, she feels numb.
- The Italian wet nurse brings in the baby girl Annie to see her mother. Anna finds the girl charming, but now realizes that her love for her daughter is nothing compared to the love for her son.
- This love she has for Seryozha is all the more powerful because she knows that the two of them will always be separated, both physically and spiritually.
- After Anna gives the baby back to the wet nurse, she takes out all her pictures of Seryozha, taken at various points in his life.
- As she goes through her photo album, she sees a photo of Vronsky and feels a rush of love for him. At the same time, she's suddenly angry that Vronsky is not there to help her.
- She sends Vronsky a note asking him to come over right away.
- He writes back that Prince Yashvin is visiting. He asks if Anna can receive both of them.
- Remembering that Vronsky hasn't seen Anna since dinner the night before and yet still won't come to her alone this evening, Anna suddenly worries that Vronsky has stopped loving her.
- When Vronsky and Prince Yashvin go over, the three of them chat for a while. Vronsky looks at the pictures of Seryozha that Anna has left on the table. Anna practically snatches them out of his hands.
- Anna extends a dinner invitation, which Yashvin accepts with a smile that shows Vronsky how much Yashvin likes Anna.
- As the two men are leaving, Anna asks Vronsky whether he still loves her and when they will leave Petersburg. He replies: soon—after all, he hasn't been enjoying himself in Petersburg much either.