The world must be rather a rough place for clever people. Ordinary folk dislike them, and as for themselves, they hate each other most cordially.

Love is woman's business,and in "business" we all lay aside our natural weaknesses.

There is no more thrilling sensation I know of than sailing. It comes as near to flying as man has got to yet - except in dreams.

We like, we cherish, we are very, very fond of—but we never love again.

It is well we cannot see into the future. There are few boys of fourteen who would not feel ashamed of themselves at forty.

I often arrive at quite sensible ideas and judgements, on the spur of the moment. It is when I stop to think that I become foolish.

(Speaking of the Cistercian monks) A grim fraternity, passing grim lives in that sweet spot, that God had made so bright! Strange that Nature's voices all around them--the soft singing of the waters, the wisperings of the river grass, the music of the rushing wind--should not have taught them a truer meaning of life than this. They listened there, through the long days, in silence, waiting for a voice from heaven; and all day long and through the solemn night it spoke to them in myriad tones, and they heard it not.