It seems to me that we become more dear one to the other, in together admiring works of art, which speak to the soul by their true grandeur.
Madame de StaelThe thing that must be preserved in all situations whatever is the reputation of one's character.
Madame de StaelConversation as talent exists only in France. In other countries, conversation provides politeness, discussion, and friendship; in France, it is an art for which imagination and soul are certainly very welcome, but which can also provide its own secret remedies to compensate you for the absence of either or both, if you so desire.
Madame de Stael