Page 1002 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

relations with Anna, and for the most part, in men, he had
met with the ‘proper’ way of looking at it. But if he had
been asked, and those who looked at it ‘properly’ had
been asked, exactly how they did look at it, both he and

they would have been greatly puzzled to answer.
In reality, those who in Vronsky’s opinion had the
‘proper’ view had no sort of view at all, but behaved in
general as well-bred persons do behave in regard to all the
complex and insoluble problems with which life is
encompassed on all sides; they behaved with propriety,
avoiding allusions and unpleasant questions. They assumed
an air of fully comprehending the import and force of the
situation, of accepting and even approving of it, but of
considering it superfluous and uncalled for to put all this
into words.
Vronsky at once divined that Golenishtchev was of this
class, and therefore was doubly pleased to see him. And in
fact, Golenishtchev’s manner to Madame Karenina, when
he was taken to call on her, was all that Vronsky could
have desired. Obviously without the slightest effort he
steered clear of all subjects which might lead to
embarrassment.
He had never met Anna before, and was struck by her
beauty, and still more by the frankness with which she

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