Life stand still here.

and even a tea party means apprehension, breakage

I need not hate any man; he cannot hurt me. I need not flatter any man; he has nothing to give me.

... if we can imagine the art of fiction come alive and standing in our midst, she would undoubtedly bid us to break her and bullyher, as well as honour and love her, for so her youth is renewed and her sovereignty assured.

One has to secrete a jelly in which to slip quotations down people's throats - and one always secretes too much jelly.

We agreed that people are now afraid of the English language. He [T.S. Eliot] said it came of being bookish, but not reading books enough. One should read all styles thoroughly.

The cold stream of visual impressions failed him now as if the eye were a cup that overflowed and let the rest run down its china walls unrecorded.