Men and women make sad mistakes about their own symptoms, taking their vague uneasy longings, sometimes for genius, sometimes for religion, and oftener still for a mighty love.

Confound you handsome young fellows! You think of having it all your own way in the world. You don't understand women. They don't admire you half so much as you admire yourselves.

If you are not proud of your cellar, there is no thrill of satisfaction in seeing your guest hold up his wineglass to the light and look judicial.

Man cannot choose his duties.

What loneliness is more lonely than distrust?

... indefinite visions of ambition are weak against the ease of doing what is habitual or beguilingly agreeable.

No story is the same to us after a lapse of time; or rather we who read it are no longer the same interpreters.