I recalled to mind the Archbishop of Granada, and I thought I could hear Gil Blas predicting the failure of my works.

We can not dismiss the public as we can our secretary; meanwhile, I surrendered to a too severe justice in order to decline others' opinions.

A horrible thought suddenly came into my mind; my artistic life was ended, I was a worn-out man; in one word, to picture my situation in a trivial but correct manner, I had reached the end of my rope.
"I could not express to you the discouragement that I felt at this conviction.

Melanie's infidelity was the crowning touch.

It was not my heart, but my vanity which had been rendered more irritable by recent disappointments.