When one woman strikes at the heart of another, she seldom misses, and the wound is invariably fatal.

It was there, in particular, that I confirmed the truth that love, which we cry up as the source of our pleasures, is nothing more than an excuse for them.

When one woman strikes at the heart of another, she seldom misses, and the wound is invariably fatal.

Marquise de Merteuil: I've distilled every thing to one single principle: win or die.

Humanity is not perfect in any fashion; no more in the case of evil than in that of good. The criminal has his virtues, just as the honest man has his weaknesses.

I assure you that the world is not so amusing as we imagined.

...it is not for the illusion of a moment to govern the choice of a lifetime.