The strongest guard is placed at the gateway to nothing. Maybe because the condition of emptiness is too shameful to be divulged.

God knows what you've been doing, everything you've been doing. You may fool me, but you can't fool God!

The helpless ecstasy of loosing himself in her charm was a powerful opiate rather than a tonic.

I'm inclined to reserve all judgement, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and made me the victim of not a few veteran bores. The abnormal mind is quick to detect and attach itself to this quality when it appears in a normal person, and so it came about that in college I was unjustly accused of being a politician, because I was privy to the secret griefs of wild, unknown men.

Don't be so anxious about it,' she laughed. 'I'm not used to being loved. I wouldn't know what to do; I never got the trick of it.' She looked down at him, shy and fatigued. 'So here we are. I told you years ago that I had the makings of Cinderella.' He took her hand; she drew it back instinctively and then replaced it in his. 'Beg your pardon. Not even used to being touched. But I'm not afraid of you, if you stay quiet and don't move suddenly.

They talked aimlessly back and forth, each speaking for the other.

When I see a beautiful shell like that I can't help feeling a regret about what's inside it.