In which Levin, visiting Moscow with his old friend Stepan Arkadyevitch, finds himself uneasy amidst the city's refined dining habits and social bustle, reflecting on his own rustic simplicity and inner turmoil. As they share a meal and conversation, Levin confides in Stepan Arkadyevitch his profound and conflicted feelings towards a matter of great personal significance, moving between hope and apprehension with earnest sincerity.