*    *    *    *    *

Science, with a thousand triumphs to her credit, has not yet succeeded in
discovering the correct reply for a young man to make who finds himself
in the appalling position of being apologized to by a pretty girl.

*    *    *    *    *

He had very little mind, but what he had was suffering.

*    *    *    *    *

"Oh, I've nothing against Freddie. He is practically an imbecile
and I don't like his face, but apart from that he's all right."

*    *    *    *    *

It is curious how frequently in this world our attempts to stimulate
and uplift swoop back on us and smite us like boomerangs.

*    *    *    *    *

The village of Market Blandings is one of those sleepy hamlets which
modern progress has failed to touch...
The church is Norman, and the intelligence of the majority of the natives palaeozoic.

*    *    *    *    *

He had that strained air of being on the very point of bursting
which one sees in frogs and toy balloons.

*    *    *    *    *

She was one of those hostesses whom a guest never sees except when he goes into
the library and espies the tail of her skirt vanishing through the other door.

*    *    *    *    *

One of the Georges - I forget which - once said that a certain number of hours'
sleep each night - I cannot recall at the moment how many - made a man something,
which for the time being has slipped my memory.

*    *    *    *    *