Natalia Melekhova, who had become pregnant with Grigori's child, tries to abort her pregnancy, saying that she "doesn't want to give birth to Grigori anymore." She dies as a result and the child is born anyway, and is named Mikhail (Mishatka as the diminutive). Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the White Don Army in Balashov, Grigori remains unaware of his son's birth and drinks cognac with other officers. When the Whites retreat, Grigori takes Aksinya with him, but when she gets sick in the winter, he is forced to leave her in the care of a peasant family.
