The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall Quotes
"An honest and industrious farmer is one of the most useful members of society."
"My object in writing the following pages was not simply to amuse the Reader; neither was it to gratify my own taste, nor yet to ingratiate myself with the Press and the Public: I wished to tell the truth, for truth always conveys its own moral to those who are able to receive it."
"But as the priceless treasure too frequently hides at the bottom of a well, it needs some courage to dive for it."
"If I can gain the public ear at all, I would rather whisper a few wholesome truths therein than much soft nonsense."
"I would not be understood to suppose that the proceedings of the unhappy scapegrace, with his few profligate companions I have here introduced, are a specimen of the common practices of society—the case is an extreme one, as I trusted none would fail to perceive."
"I take the imputation in good part, as a compliment to the just delineation of my female characters."
"He was a man of fixed principles, strong prejudices, and regular habits, intolerant of dissent in any shape, acting under a firm conviction that his opinions were always right, and whoever differed from them must be either most deplorably ignorant, or wilfully blind."
"She was considered a beauty besides; but never for a moment could she number me amongst her admirers."
"Now, Halford, I bid you adieu for the present. This is the first instalment of my debt."
"I perceive, with joy, my most valued friend, that the cloud of your displeasure has passed away."
"If the coin suits you, tell me so, and I’ll send you the rest at my leisure."
"I beg your pardon, sir," stammered she;—suddenly calming down,—the light of reason seeming to break upon her beclouded spirit.
"Let your permission be unconditional, pray; for I came not to give pleasure, but to seek it."
"And is that right, sir? Have I not proven to you how wrong it is—how contrary to Scripture and to reason, to teach a child to look with contempt and disgust upon the blessings of Providence, instead of to use them aright?"
"I see your heart is in your work, Mrs. Graham," observed I: "I must beg you to go on with it; for if you suffer our presence to interrupt you, we shall be constrained to regard ourselves as unwelcome intruders."
"Because I have friends—acquaintances at least—in the world, from whom I desire my present abode to be concealed."
"I cannot afford to paint for my own amusement."
"I shall not think about going till next spring."
"Let not the sun go down upon your wrath, Mr. Markham. I’m sorry I offended you by my abruptness."
"I take no pleasure in watching people pass the windows; I like to be quiet."
"I have often wished in vain for another’s judgment to appeal to when I could scarcely trust the direction of my own eye and head."
"It was a pleasure to behold it so dexterously guided by those fair and graceful fingers."
"But the more desirous to vindicate my character and disposition in her eyes, and, if possible, to win her esteem."
"No jests, and little laughter, had escaped her lips; but her smile had animated my mirth."
"I tried to cheer her up, and apparently succeeded in some degree, before the walk was over; but in the very act my conscience reproved me."
"I cannot imagine how they can go on as they do."
"It is just—six-weeks—by my reckoning, since you darkened—my—door!"
"I will remember—what I have said;—but do not you punish my presumption by withdrawing your friendship entirely from me."
"I hate talking where there is no exchange of ideas or sentiments, and no good given or received."
"There is such a thing as looking through a person’s eyes into the heart, and learning more of the height, and breadth, and depth of another’s soul in one hour than it might take you a lifetime to discover."
"I’ll tell you what I’ll take, Mrs. Markham," said he: "I’ll take a glass of your excellent ale."
"That day was rainy like its predecessor; but towards evening it began to clear up a little, and the next morning was fair and promising."
"I don't ask the reason of this change, Gilbert," said she, with bitter calmness: "I know it too well; but though I could see myself suspected and condemned by every one else, and bear it with calmness, I cannot endure it from you."
"Impossible, for I would have told you all!" cried she, passionately—"but I won't now, for I see you are not worthy of it!"
"Go, love!" repeated she more urgently, and in a tone which, though not unkind, demanded prompt obedience, and obtained it.
"But what a fool I was! Had she not deceived me, injured me—blighted my happiness for life?"
"It was on my own account I principally object; so let us—drop the subject."
"I respect you—at least, I would respect you, if you would behave like a sensible man—but I cannot love you, and never could."
"Is he a man of principle? Perhaps not, exactly; but it is only for want of thought."
"If he had some one to advise him, and remind him of what is right—"
"I have such confidence in him, aunt, notwithstanding all you say, that I would willingly risk my happiness for the chance of securing his."
"But I have thought deeply on my aunt’s advice, and I see clearly, now, the folly of throwing myself away on one that is unworthy of all the love I have to give."
"And who can tell but Heaven, at last, may answer all my thousand prayers, and bid the future pay the past with joy for anguish, smiles for tears."
"You will form a very inadequate estimate of a man’s character if you judge by what a fond sister says of him."
"Yes, they can all play the hypocrite when they want to take in a fond, misguided woman!"
"The more I long to deliver him from his faults—to give him an opportunity of shaking off the adventitious evil got from contact with others worse than himself, and shining out in the unclouded light of his own genuine goodness."
"If he hear not them, neither will he hear though one rose from the dead."
"He is not so light-headed as to be irresponsible: his Maker has endowed him with reason and conscience as well as the rest of us."
"And remember, Helen, ‘the wicked shall be turned into hell, and they that forget God!’"
"For I can’t live alone, because my own mind distracts me, and I can’t live with you, because you take the devil’s part against me."
"It’s ‘all for love or the world well lost,’ with me."
"I see that a man cannot give himself up to drinking without being miserable one-half his days and mad the other."
"I’m not come to join you: I’m only come to be with you awhile, because I can’t bear my own thoughts."
"Well, I think I shall always have plenty to say. But oh! for the time when we shall be always together, and can exchange our thoughts without the intervention of these cold go-betweens, pen, ink, and paper!"
"It is exactly four months since I opened it last."
"I am married now, and settled down as Mrs. Huntingdon of Grassdale Manor."
"To be sure I might have known him, for everyone was willing enough to tell me about him, and he himself was no accomplished hypocrite, but I was wilfully blind."
"I am only afraid his affection loses in depth where it gains in ardour."
"He is very fond of me, almost too fond. I could do with less caressing and more rationality."
"The consequence was, that after a flying transit through part of France and part of Italy, I came back nearly as ignorant as I went."
"If she gives you her heart," said I, "you must take it, thankfully, and use it well, and not pull it in pieces, and laugh in her face, because she cannot snatch it away."
"I will give my whole heart and soul to my Maker if I can," I answered, "and not one atom more of it to you than He allows."
"But, my love, I cannot let you stay. How can I settle my affairs when I know that you are here, neglected?"
"I do object sometimes, and tell her what I feel, but you don't know how she talks."
"I should not care if I could see any prospect of being able to love and admire him, but I can't."
"You must tell me, if you can, that Mr. Hattersley is better than he seems—that he is upright, honourable, and open-hearted—in fact, a perfect diamond in the rough."
"I will shame him into virtue if I can, and I will never let him leave me again."
"Only, Arthur, that you would love yourself as truly and as faithfully as you are loved by me."
"I wish he had something to do, some useful trade, or profession, or employment—anything to occupy his head or his hands for a few hours a day, and give him something besides his own pleasure to think about."
"I cannot doubt that he frequently showed them my letters, to let them see how fondly his wife watched over his interests, and how keenly she regretted his absence."
"And who shall say that even this was not a blessing to those who thought it a hardship?"
"But there is room for improvement still. He is not always cheerful, nor always contented."
"I can feel for anyone that is unjustly treated," I replied, "and I can feel for those that injure them too."
"God has sent me a soul to educate for heaven, and give me a new and calmer bliss, and stronger hopes to comfort me."
"How little real sympathy there exists between us; how many of my thoughts and feelings are gloomily cloistered within my own mind."
"If it were not for your situation, Helen, I would not submit to it so tamely. I won’t be dictated to by a woman, though she be my wife."
"But to me, he always avowed it his intention to stay till the present month."
"Do you think I have nothing to do but to stay at home and take care of myself like a woman?"
"Don’t you know that you are a part of myself? And do you think you can injure and degrade yourself, and I not feel it?"
"You will have to pay a higher price than you anticipate, if you don’t take care: there will be the total loss of your own health, and of my affection too, if that is of any value to you."
"If you don’t mind, my pretty tyrant, you’ll make me regret my choice in good earnest, and envy my friend Hattersley his meek little wife: she’s quite a pattern to her sex, Helen."
"In that case she is as great a fool as he is; but it is not so."
"She never speaks a word against him: it is only anxiety for him that she expresses."
"Well, well! don’t worry me about them: you’ll never effect any good by that. Have patience with me, and bear with my languor and crossness a little while, till I get this cursed low fever out of my veins, and then you’ll find me cheerful and kind as ever."
"My case is quite desperate, is it? A very blessed consideration, if it will only secure me from the pain and worry of my dear anxious wife’s efforts to convert me."
"But I determined this should never be, as long as I had any influence left."
"I abhorred the sinner as well as the sin; now I flatter myself I am more charitable and considerate; but am I not becoming more indifferent and insensate too?"
"If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light."
"I’m wishing you God-speed, Hattersley," cried Arthur, "and aiding you with my prayers: I can’t do anything else if my life depended on it!"
"I have trusted to the testimony of no third person. I was in the shrubbery this evening, and I saw and heard for myself."
"I would leave you tomorrow, and never again come under this roof but for my child."
"I am your child's mother and your housekeeper, nothing more."
"I have no wish to publish your shame. I should be sorry to distress your husband with the knowledge of it."
"I would not for much that she should know the infamy and disgrace of her relation!"
"I should be sorry to distress your husband with the knowledge of it."
"You must be aware that your continuance here is excessively disagreeable to me—not for Mr. Huntingdon’s sake—you are welcome to him, if you like him, as far as I am concerned—but because it is painful to be always disguising my true sentiments respecting you."
"No true Christian could cherish such bitter feelings as I do against him and her, especially the latter: him, I still feel that I could pardon—freely, gladly—on the slightest token of repentance; but she—words cannot utter my abhorrence."
"I have nothing left me but the solace of a good conscience and a hopeful trust in heaven."
"If it be the will of God that we should sow in tears now, it is only that we may reap in joy hereafter."
"I would sooner die than disgrace my calling and break my faith with heaven to obtain a few brief years of false and fleeting happiness."