The Abbey is another large estate owned by the Mallinger family. As the New Year approaches, the Mallinger family is expecting Grandcourt and Gwendolen to visit them. Deronda ponders their marriage, choosing to believe that Gwendolen agreed to marry Grandcourt out of ambition or necessity rather than love. He cannot imagine why any woman would want to marry a man like Grandcourt. When Grandcourt and Gwendolen enter, she is dressed in a white silk outfit and the diamond earrings taken from Lydia. They make small talk, revealing that Catherine Arrowpoint and Herr Klesmer are now married. Her parents have begrudgingly supported the marriage. Gwendolen is able to talk to Deronda in private. She asks him whether he would hate anyone who sought to injure him to enrich themselves. Deronda responds that he prefers to be injured than to injure others. The conversation confuses Deronda, and he decides to avoid Gwendolen for the rest of the visit. He is concerned that people might believe that he is flirting with her. Despite his intentions, Gwendolen sticks close to him. Grandcourt notices his wife’s behavior and views this as a challenge to his authority.

On the day of her wedding, Gwendolen burned the letter from Lydia.