You Never Can Tell quotes

With cool insolence. Well, so you have! She gets up.

Why shouldn’t you? it’s your business to hurt people.

It amuses him to be treated in this fashion: he chuckles secretly as he proceeds to clean and replace his instruments. She shakes her dress into order; looks inquisitively about her; and goes to the window.

I hope not.

No man alive shall father me.

He might have a lot of money, though.

Remonstrating. Dear, dear children: don’t be silly. Everything is so new to them here, Finch, that they are in the wildest spirits. They think every Englishman they meet is a joke.

Well, so he is: it’s not our fault.

My knowledge of human nature is fairly extensive, Mr. McComas; but I find it impossible to take the inhabitants of this island seriously.

Not at all, sir. Very natural mistake, I’m sure, sir.

I’ve often wished he was a potman, sir. Would have been off my hands ever so much sooner, sir.

Aside to Valentine, who is again in difficulties. Salt at your elbow, sir. Resuming. Yes, sir: had to support him until he was thirty-seven, sir. But doing well now, sir: very satisfactory indeed, sir. Nothing less than fifty guineas, sir.

Philosophically.

Well, sir, you never can tell. That’s a principle in life with me, sir, if you’ll excuse my having such a thing, sir.

Delicately sinking the philosopher in the waiter for a moment. Perhaps you haven’t noticed that you hadn’t touched that seltzer and Irish, sir, when the party broke up. He takes the tumbler from the luncheon table, and sets if before Crampton.

Reflectively. Well, yes, sir: that’s a way of looking at it, too, sir.

I have always said that the great advantage of a hotel is that it’s a refuge from home life, sir.

I missed that advantage today, I think.

With ironical haste to disclaim such a weakness. No, no, no. Not love: we know better than that.

Let’s call it chemistry.

You can’t deny that there is such a thing as chemical action, chemical affinity, chemical combination—the most irresistible of all natural forces. Well, you’re attracting me irresistibly—chemically.

Quite right, mamma: bring him to book.

Make the most of the nineteenth century while it lasts.

Sh! Here he is. Valentine comes in.

If you lived in London, where the whole system is one of false good-fellowship, and you may know a man for twenty years without finding out that he hates you like poison, you would soon have your eyes opened.

There we do unkind things in a kind way: we say bitter things in a sweet voice: we always give our friends chloroform when we tear them to pieces.

But think of the other side of it!

I have learnt to mistrust my heart. With an angry glance at Valentine.

I would tear my heart and throw it away if I could.

My answer to you is my mother’s answer. She goes to Mrs. Clandon, and stands with her arm about her; but Mrs. Clandon, unable to endure this sort of demonstrativeness, disengages herself as soon as she can without hurting Gloria’s feelings.

Prosaically.

How is a man to look dignified when he’s infatuated?

Effectually unstilted. Don’t say those things to me. I forbid you. They are insults.

Do you really think it would make me beautiful? She turns her back on him with the coldest contempt. Ah, you see you’re not in earnest.

Love can’t give any man new gifts. It can only heighten the gifts he was born with.

Sweeping round at him again. What gifts were you born with, pray?

McComas: there will be no difficulty about the important questions. There never is.

It is the trifles that will wreck you at the harbor mouth.

McComas looks as if he considered this a paradox. You don’t agree with me, eh?

Again interrupting him.

My specialty is being right when other people are wrong.

If you agreed with me I should be of no use here. He nods at him to drive the point home; then turns suddenly and forcibly on Crampton. Now you, Mr. Crampton: what point in this business have you most at heart?

Bohun, satisfied at having now effectually crushed all rebellion, throws himself back in his chair, with an air of being prepared to listen tolerantly to their grievances. Now, Mr. Crampton, go on. It’s understood that self is put aside.

Human nature always begins by saying that.

But I mean it, sir.

Mr. Valentine: you must excuse us all.

Women have to unlearn the false good manners of their slavery before they acquire the genuine good manners of their freedom.

Don’t think Gloria vulgar Gloria turns, astonished: she is not really so.