“Assail'd by scandal and the tongue of strife,His only answer was, a blameless life.”

“Lebedev: ...There'll be a scandal, the tongues of the whole district will buzz with gossip, but it's better to go through a scandal, isn't it, than to destroy yourself for your whole life.”

“It behooves a father to be blameless if he expects his child to be.”

“Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.”

“Experience had taught me that innocence seldom utters outraged shrikes. Guilt does. Innocence is a mighty shield, and the man or woman covered by it, is much more likely to answer calmly: 'My life is blameless. Look into it, if you like, for you will find nothing.' That is the tone of innocence.”

“My dear Arthur, I never talk scandal. I only talk gossip.What is the difference between scandal and gossip?Oh! Gossip is charming! History is merely gossip. But scandal is gossip made tedious by morality.”