Anna Karenina Part 6, Chapter 14 Summary

  • In the morning, Veslovsky is given a tour of the estate, of Levin's horses and stables and grounds. He and Levin even do some gymnastics together.
  • In the drawing room, Veslovsky goes straight to Kitty and chats with her, which, for some unnamable reason, gets to Levin.
  • Kitty's mother, meanwhile, is trying to interest Levin in all the preparations for the birth of his child. They're moving to Moscow for the two months prior to the birth, and she's concerned with finding the right doctor.
  • Levin feels the same way about the preparations for the upcoming birth as he felt about preparations for his wedding, that the sacred is being profaned by all this talk of logistics and practical considerations.
  • Thanks to Veslovsky and his mother-in-law, Levin's previous good mood has evaporated.
  • Veslovsky is talking to Kitty about Anna's situation (in very general terms). Kitty feels extremely uncomfortable, because she knows that Levin is feeling jealous, but doesn't know how to extricate herself from the situation gracefully.
  • When Levin goes off to meet with a mechanic, Kitty looks at him guiltily (confirming all his worst suspicions).
  • Kitty follows him, and tells the mechanic to wait while she talks to her husband.
  • They keep trying to find somewhere private to talk, and finally settle on going into the garden. A peasant sees them, and compares their expressions to those of people trying to flee some tragedy.
  • The two of them talk of how happy they were prior to Veslovsky's arrival. They both recognize that there has been something indecorous in Veslovsky's behavior, but Kitty protests that it is not her fault. Five minutes later they are reconciled and happy.