The two friends leave the next day, and instead of going to Fyodot’s, they follow an impulse and go to Madame Odintsova’s, even though they both know that they are indulging in a bit of “foolishness.” They realize the impropriety of their actions when they arrive and find Madame Odintsova somewhat cold and nonrecepttive to their sudden return visit.
Arkady realizes that he had wanted to see Katya as much as he had wanted to see Madame Odintsova, but the younger sister never emerged from her room during the entire day. They leave Nikolskoe and return to Marino, where they are received with open arms.
Things have not been going well for Nikolai: the hired laborers are giving him trouble, the new machinery has proved ineffective, and the peasants are squabbling among themselves. All Pavel can do is to admonish his brother to remain calm at all costs. Arkady is sympathetic, and Bazarov chooses not to get involved with any of the family problems.
Arkady thinks about Nikolskoe constantly and is surprised to find that he feels bored under the same roof with Bazarov. Under the pretext of studying the organization of Sunday schools in the area, he gallops off to Madame Odintsova’s. He is delighted that the first person he meets is Katya, and soon overcomes his uneasiness when Madame Odintsova greets him rather warmly.
