But I never cleaned thoroughly enough, my reorganization proved to be haphazard, the disgraces came unfailingly to light, and it was clear how we failed, how disastrously we fell short of that ideal of order and cleanliness, household decency which I as much as anybody else believed in.

Moments of kindness and reconciliation are worth having, even if the parting has to come sooner or later.

Memory is the way we keep telling ourselves our stories - and telling other people a somewhat different version of our stories.

He was evidently the sort of person who posed questions that were traps for you to fall into.

She keeps on hoping from a word from Penelope, but not in any strenuous way. She hopes as people who know better hope for undeserved blessings, spontaneous remissions, things of that sort.

One stroke of lightning does not have to lead anywhere, but to the next stroke of lightning.

Braininess is not attractive unless combined with some signs of elegance; class.