She is the only dream I ever had that lived and breathed and did not die in the face of reality." (Ashley said about Melanie)

She could see so clearly now that he was only a childish fancy, no more important really than her spoiled desire for the aquamarine earbobs she had coaxed out of Gerald. For, once she owned the earbobs, they had lost their value, as everything except money lost its value once it was hers.

And apologies, once postponed, become harder and harder to make, and finally impossible.

It was this feminine conspiracy which made Southern society so pleasant. Women knew that a land where men were contented, uncontradicted ans safe in possession of unpunctured vanity was likely to be a very pleasant place for women to live. So, from the cradle to the grave, women strove to make men pleased with themselves, and the satisfied men repaid lavishly with gallantry and adoration. In fact, men willingly gave ladies everything in the world except credit for having intelligence.

Sir,"she said,"you are no gentleman!" An apt observation,"he answered airily."And, you, Miss, are no lady.

Vanity was stronger than love at sixteen and there was no room in her hot heart now for anything but hate.

She hasn't your strength. She's never had any strength. She's never had anything but heart.