At Anna's confession, Karenin remains still and deathlike. After seeing her home, he is better able to examine the problem. Like a sufferer who has had the bad tooth extracted, he feels relief at his wife's outburst. Despite his deep cowardice, he first considers challenging Vronsky to a duel. Karenin decides that, being indispensable to the ministry, he should allow nothing to interfere either with his duties or his reputation; no, a duel would solve nothing. Legal divorce, or even separation, is also not feasible, since the resulting scandal would injure only himself and the guilty parties would be united; they should rather suffer from their crimes. His only recourse is to keep his wife with him, conceal from the world what had happened, use every measure in his power to break off the intrigue, and above all (though he does not admit this) to punish her. His decision pleases him, and he feels satisfied that religious sanction coincides so conveniently with his self-interest. He resolves to write Anna a letter announcing his decision to maintain the status quo.
When he arrives home in Petersburg, Karenin first writes to Anna, then turns to an official matter, the business of setting up a commission to inquire into the work of the Native Tribes Organization Committee. Having accomplished both important items of work, Karenin retires, well pleased with himself.
