Life was a series of messes, and one spent one's time cleaning them up; if one had any heart at all one also gave a part of one's time to cleaning up those of other people.

A desire that has never been fulfilled is considerably less acute than one that has been fulfilled and then checked at the source.

Truth, though it has many disadvantages, is at least changeless. You can always find it where you left it.

... the ears of the hunted grow even keener than a hunter's.

... one pets what one degrades; and one has to support what one has enfeebled

A man whose every exertion is bent upon showing up the flaws in his wife's character must be at least partially responsible for some of them.

... what most people tell you a confidence for is to get something off their chest which hasn't really been on it. They don't necessarily want to hide the truth from you, but they're out to hide it from themselves