Ka kammala wannan magana: Labarin ya koma Crimea, inda wani magidanci, wato Nikolai Mikhailovich Layevsky ya marabci ɗansa Pavel da ya dawo daga aikin soja na shekara biyar. Abin mamakin shi shine sake haduwar ba ta da sirri kamar yadda Pavel ya kawo Vitkevich tare da shi. Wani mummunan rashin tausayi wanda yake ba da iska mai ban sha'awa, Vitkevich ba kawai ƙaunataccen gidan sarauta na Rasha ba ne, har ma da abin da abokan aikinsa suka yi. Nikolai duk da haka ya kasa ganin dalilin da ya sa ɗansa ya kamata ya kasance da sha'awar baƙon, ba tare da sanin Vitkevich ya zama irin mutumin da zai ɓoye kansa a cikin gidan karuwai don kawai ya sha ruwan inabi ba. Vitkevich ya kama Nikolai yana jin daɗin lokacin da yake tare da Masha, babban mai dafa abinci na dukiya wanda yake wani abu ne na mahaifiyar mahaifa ga Pavel, wanda ya haifar da Vitkevich ya bayyana cewa ba da daɗewa ba zai fara aiki mai mahimmanci, wato ziyarar zuwa Kabul. Vitkevich sannan ya ci gaba da wa'azi game da makomar Rasha da kuma
Masarautar tana bukatar fadada yankin, wani ra'ayi da Masha ke nuna shakku a kansa.