In which Alexey Alexandrovitch finds his triumph before the Commission overshadowed by unforeseen political manoeuvres that fracture support and foment public disapproval, driving him to undertake a personal investigation despite his frailty and private sorrow. In his brief sojourn in Moscow, he encounters the warm, insistent hospitality of his brother-in-law Stepan Arkadyevitch and sister Dolly, whose cordial invitations interrupt his desire for solitude amidst the bustling city.