- With Madame Stahl and Varenka as role models, Kitty embarks on letting loose her spiritual side.
- It's good for her because she is launching a new beginning that has nothing to do with Moscow and her former life.
- Even though Madame Stahl is Christian, Kitty feels vaguely uneasy about Madame Stahl's sincerity.
- But Kitty has no doubts whatsoever about Varenka's genuineness.
- Kitty begins to imitate everything that Varenka does, including the way that she blinks.
- Kitty begins to harbor secret dreams about being a good person who helps the unfortunate and needy. She doesn't tell anyone about her secret dreams.
- She starts spending all her time with sick people, particularly a poor and ailing painter, Petrov, and his family.
- Kitty's mother likes that her daughter is being a good person, but dislikes the extremes to which Kitty is going.
- Kitty refuses to confide her secret dreams in her mother.
- Kitty and the Petrov family have been getting along fabulously. One day, however, Kitty's mother notes that the Petrov family has not been frequenting the house as much as before.
- Kitty claims to have no idea why the Petrov family has suddenly stopped visiting.
- Kitty thinks over her relationship with the Petrov family. Kitty and Petrov's wife, Anna Pavlovna, have been considering ways for the painter to improve his health. Their son calls her "my Kitty."
- But now, the problem is that the painter has fallen for Kitty, and in his excitement at seeing her has communicated his feelings to his wife. Kitty's reception in the Petrov household is awkward: Anna Pavlovna is too cold and Petrov is too warm.