"The dupe of friendship, and the fool of love; have I not reason to hate and to despise myself? Indeed I do; and chiefly for not having hated and despised the world enough."
"Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects, and discovering other people's weaknesses."
"Life is the art of being well deceived; and in order that the deception may succeed it must be habitual and uninterrupted."
"There are no rules for friendship. It must be left to itself. We cannot force it any more than love."
"the old maxim... "there are three things necessary to success in life--Impudence! Impudence! Impudence!"
"Even in the common affairs of life, in love, friendship, and marriage, how little security have we when we trust our happiness in the hands of others!"