Chapter 39
In Betsy's opera box Vronsky offers to tell an indiscreet story wit...
“This is rather indiscreet, but it’s so good it’s an awful temptation to tell the story,” said Vronsky, looking at her with his laughing eyes. “I’m not going to mention any names.” “But I shall guess, so much the better.” “Well, listen: two festive young men were driving—” “Officers of your regiment, of course?” “I didn’t say they were officers,—two young men who had been lunching.” “In other words, drinking.” “Possibly. They were driving on their way to dinner with a friend in the most festive state of mind. And they beheld a pretty woman in a hired sledge; she…
Public-domain chapter text, formatted for reading.
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"This is rather indiscreet, but it’s so good it’s an awful temptation to tell the story,"
Context: Vronsky begins his anecdote in Betsy's opera box
Scandal becomes social currency when told with charm and withheld names.
In Today's Words:
Vronsky warns Betsy the story is too indiscreet to share, which is exactly why he is telling it to her now. Gossip gains value when names are withheld but everyone can guess the cast. You see it whenever someone says they should not repeat something and then repeats it anyway.
"You describe it with such feeling that I fancy you must be one of the two."
Context: Betsy interrupts Vronsky's vivid description of the woman in the sledge
Flirtation and complicity merge as Betsy reads Vronsky's pleasure in the tale.
In Today's Words:
Betsy tells Vronsky he narrates the chase so vividly he must have been one of the pursuers himself. She turns indiscretion into flirtation while pretending only to guess. People often confess involvement by how eagerly and precisely they tell the story to a delighted audience.
"Talleyrand couldn’t hold a candle to me."
Context: Vronsky describes mediating between the clerk and the young men
He treats smoothing over an insult to a respectable wife as a stylish performance of diplomacy.
In Today's Words:
Vronsky boasts that his apology to the offended husband outdid famous diplomacy and statesmanship. He frames harassing a pregnant woman and writing a vulgar letter as a charming mess he can talk away with rank. Power often recasts harm as a story worth laughing over together.
"It’s a disgraceful story, but killing."
Context: The colonel reacts after Vronsky reports on the mediation at the French theater
Regimental honor requires hushing the scandal, yet the men relish its comedy.
In Today's Words:
The colonel calls the officers' behavior disgraceful and hilarious in the same breath after Vronsky's report. The regiment needs the problem buried but enjoys retelling it among themselves. Institutions often punish misconduct formally while privately treating it as entertainment for insiders who share the joke.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Vronsky's rank helps soften clerk Venden while Petritsky and Kedrov escape duel
Development
Officer gallantry is treated as mischief; civilian wives are props in the story
In Your Life:
You might see powerful people treat apologies as performance while victims stay invisible
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Betsy and Vronsky trade flirtation through indiscreet gossip at the opera
Development
Their complicity foreshadows the set that will host Anna and Vronsky
In Your Life:
You might recognize bonds built on shared gossip rather than shared values
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
This is not a test. Five prompts guide you through the chapter, from how it opens to how it closes, so you notice context and rhythm rather than facts to memorize. Sit with each question in your own words. When you see "One way to read it," treat it as a starting point, not the only answer.
- 1
How does Vronsky introduce the story he tells Betsy in the opera box?
analysis • surfaceOne way to read it
He calls it indiscreet but irresistible, promises not to name names, and lets Betsy guess the participants.
- 2
What do the two young men do after following the woman in the sledge?
analysis • mediumOne way to read it
They write an ardent letter, deliver it upstairs themselves, and are confronted by her husband, a government clerk.
- 3
When have you seen a harmful incident retold as entertainment for insiders?
application • mediumOne way to read it
Like Vronsky's anecdote for Betsy, charm and withheld names can turn someone else's humiliation into social currency.
- 4
Why does the colonel involve Vronsky instead of pursuing a duel?
application • deepOne way to read it
Regiment honor requires hushing the scandal; Vronsky's rank and diplomacy are meant to soften Venden without formal punishment.
- 5
What is the colonel's final verdict on the mediation?
reflection • deepOne way to read it
He calls it disgraceful yet killingly funny, then drops the matter and talks about a French actress.
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Identity Foundation
Draw two circles - one representing your identity before your most significant relationship, another representing your identity now. List specific interests, friendships, goals, and activities in each circle. Notice what disappeared, what stayed, and what grew. This isn't about judging your relationship, but understanding how your foundation has shifted.
Consider:
- •Consider whether the changes strengthen or weaken your sense of self
- •Notice if your mood depends heavily on how this relationship is going day-to-day
- •Think about what you'd want to reclaim or rebuild to feel more balanced
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you felt like you lost yourself in a relationship or situation. What warning signs did you notice? How did you (or could you) rebuild your foundation while maintaining the connection?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 40
Princess Betsy races home from the theater to host tea while Petersburg gossip turns toward the Karenins. Princess Betsy leaves the opera before the final act, powders her face, and receives guests in her Bolshaia Morskaia drawing-room almost the instant she enters. The party splits into two groups whose talk wavers until it finds gossip.
