Conventions are often more cruel than the law.

Nothing so fortifies a friendship as a belief on the part of one friend that he is superior to the other.

Glory and fame mean twelve thousand francs' worth of paid articles in the newspapers and five thousand crowns' worth of dinners.

The man whose action habitually bears the stamp of his mind is a genius, but the greatest genius is not always equal to himself, or he would cease to be human.

Nature endows woman alternately with a particular strength which helps her to suffer and a weakness which counsels her to be resigned.

For certain people, misfortune is a beacon that lights up the dark and baser sides of social life.

My writing table has seen all my wretchedness, knows all my plans, has overheard all my thoughts.