I willingly allow that money does not guarantee happiness; but it must also be allowed that it makes happiness a great deal easier to achieve.
Pierre Choderlos de Laclos...it is not for the illusion of a moment to govern the choice of a lifetime.
Pierre Choderlos de LaclosHumanity 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.
Pierre Choderlos de LaclosI am astonished at the pleasure one experiences in doing good; and I should be tempted to believe that what we call virtuous people have not so much merit as they lead us to suppose.
Pierre Choderlos de LaclosI can see that you're in love, but only in a very narrow sense. It's the love of someone that finds charms and qualities in a woman that she doesn't actually have, who puts her in a class apart with every one else in second place, and who stays attached to her even while he's abusing her.
Pierre Choderlos de Laclos