Courtesy is fine and heaven knows we need more and more of it in a rude and frenetic world, but mechanized courtesy is as pallid as Pablum ... in fact, it isn't even courtesy.

To cement a new friendship, especially between foreigners or persons of a different social world, a spark with which both were secretly charged must fly from person to person, and cut across the accidents of place and time.

All I have learned about horses is that they are beautiful overrated creatures and are all born quite insane.

That amenity which the French have developed into a great art . . . conversation.

Women's virtue is man's greatest invention.

The French have no such expression as 'killing time.' In their more philosophical vocabulary the term is 'passing time,' which means savoring all moments of it each to his individual enjoyment. While we battle with time, they relax with tempo.

Emily and I have now reached the time in life when not only do we lie about our ages, we forget what we've said they are.