But Philip was impatient with himself; he called to mind his idea of the pattern of life: the unhappiness he had suffered was no more than part of a decoration which was elaborate and beautiful; he told himself strenuously that he must accept with gaiety everything, dreariness and excitement, pleasure and pain, because it added to the richness of the design.

No affectation of peculiarity can conceal a commonplace mind.

No married man's ever made up his mind until he's heard what his wife has got to say about it.

There is no object to life. To nature nothing matters but the continuation of the species.

I have always been convinced that if a woman once made up her mind to marry a man, nothing but instant flight could save him.

You will find as you grow older that the first thing needful to make the world a tolerable place to live in is to recognize the inevitable selfishness of humanity. You demand unselfishness from others, which is a preposterous claim that they should sacrifice their desires to yours. Why should they? When you are reconciled to the fact that each is for himself in the world you will ask less from your fellows. They will not disappoint you, and you will look upon them more charitably. Men seek but one thing in life -- their pleasure.

Life is so largely controlled by chance that its conduct can be but a perpetual improvisation.