I taught him so much, Frank, that he was made a corporal and forthwith a nursemaid fell in love with his stripes.

He's devoted to her: I suppose he likes to play teacher in his turn." "And so the great romantic passion comes to this tame conclusion ?" "What would you, Frank?
Whatever begins must also end." "Is there anyone else ?" I asked, "or have you learned reason at last ?" "Of course there's always someone else, Frank: change is the essence of passion: the _reason_ you talk of is merely another name for impotence." "Montaigne declares," I said, "that love belongs to early youth, 'the next period after infancy,' is his phrase, but that is at the best a Frenchman's view of it.

Sophocles was nearer the truth when he called himself happy in that age had freed him from the whip of passion.

When are you going to reach that serenity ?" "Never, Frank, never, I hope: life without desire would not be worth living to me.

As one gets older one is more difficult to please: but the sting of pleasure is even keener than in youth and far more egotistic.
"One comes to understand the Marquis de Sade and that strange, scarlet story of de Retz--the pleasure they got from inflicting pain, the curious, intense underworld of cruelty--" "That's unlike you, Oscar," I broke in.