DaryaAlexandrovnaspentthesummerwithherchildrenatPokrovskoe，athersisterKittyLevin’s。Thehouseonherownestatewasquiteinruins，andLevinandhiswifehadpersuadedhertospendthesummerwiththem。StepanArkadyevichgreatlyapprovedofthearrangement。Hesaidhewasverysorryhisofficialdutiespreventedhimfromspendingthesummerinthecountrywithhisfamily，whichwouldhavebeenthegreatesthappinessforhim；andremaininginMoscow，hecamedowntothecountryfromtimetotimeforadayortwo。BesidestheOblonskys，withalltheirchildrenandtheirgoverness，theoldPrincess，too，cametostaythatsummerwiththeLevins，assheconsidereditherdutytowatchoverherinexperienceddaughterinherinterestingcondition。Moreover，Varenka，Kitty’sfriendabroad，keptherpromisetocometoKittywhenshewasmarried，andstayedwithherfriend。AllofthesewerefriendsorrelationsofLevin’swife。Andthoughhelikedthemall，heratherregrettedhisownLevinworldandways，whichwassmotheredbythisinfluxofthe`Shcherbatskyelement，’ashecalledittohimself。OfhisownrelationstherestayedwithhimonlySergeiIvanovich，buthetoowasamanoftheKoznishevandnottheLevinstamp，sothattheLevinspiritwasutterlyobliterated。
IntheLevins’house，solongdeserted，therewerenowsomanypeoplethatalmostalltheroomswereoccupied，andalmosteverydayithappenedthattheoldPrincess，sittingdowntotable，countedthemallover，andputthethirteenthgrandsonorgranddaughterataseparatetable。AndKitty，withhercarefulhousekeeping，hadnolittletroubletogetallthechickens，turkeysandgeese，ofwhichsomanywereneededtosatisfythesummerappetitesofthevisitorsandchildren。
Thewholefamilyweresittingatdinner。Dolly’schildren，withtheirgovernessandVarenka，weremakingplansforgoingtolookformushrooms。SergeiIvanovich，whowaslookeduptobyallthepartyforhisintellectandlearning，witharespectthatalmostamountedtoawe，surprisedeveryonebyjoiningintheconversationaboutmushrooms。
`Takemewithyou。Iamveryfondofpickingmushrooms，’hesaid，lookingatVarenka；`Ithinkit’saveryfineoccupation。’
`Oh，weshallbedelighted，’answeredVarenkacoloring。KittyexchangedmeaningglanceswithDolly。TheproposalofthelearnedandintellectualSergeiIvanovichtogolookingformushroomswithVarenkaconfirmedcertaintheoriesofKitty’swithwhichhermindhadbeenverybusyoflate。Shemadehastetoaddresssomeremarktohermother，sothatherlookshouldnotbenoticed。AfterdinnerSergeiIvanovichsatwithhiscupofcoffeeatthedrawing-roomwindow，andwhilehetookpartinaconversationhehadbegunwithhisbrother，hewatchedthedoorthroughwhichthechildrenwouldstartonthemushroom-pickingexpedition。Levinwassittingonthewindowsillnearhisbrother。