Montreuil, on his entrance into our family, not only fell in with, but favoured and fostered, the reigning humour against me; whether from that _divide et impera_ system, which was so grateful to his temper, or from the mere love of meddling and intrigue, which in him, as in Alberoni, attached itself equally to petty as to large circles, was not then clearly apparent; it was only certain that he fomented the dissensions and widened the breach between my brothers and myself.

Alas! after all, I believe my sole crime was my candour.

I had a spirit of frankness which no fear could tame, and my vengeance for any infantine punishment was in speaking veraciously of my punishers.
Never tell me of the pang of falsehood to the slandered: nothing is so agonizing to the fine skin of vanity as the application of a rough truth! As I grew older, I saw my power and indulged it; and, being scolded for sarcasm, I was flattered into believing I had wit; so I punned and jested, lampooned and satirized, till I was as much a torment to others as I was tormented myself.

The secret of all this was that I was unhappy.

Nobody loved me: I felt it to my heart of hearts.