Mary Elizabeth Braddon Quotes:

Surely a pretty woman never looks prettier than when making tea.

source: - Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Lyn Pykett (2012). “Lady Audley's Secret”, p.190, Oxford University Press

Topics: Pretty Woman, Tea, Looks

A modern writer likens coquettes to those hunters who do not eat the game which they have successfully pursued.

Topics: Games, Hunters, Coquette

When once estrangement has arisen between those who truly love each other, everything seems to widen the breach.

source: - Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1869). “Run to Earth: A Novel”, p.156

Topics: Estrangement, Breach

Amiability is the redeeming quality of fools.

Topics: Quality, Fool, Redeeming Qualities

How chronic is the unconcern of men and women of the world!

Topics: Men, World, Indifference

Why is it so difficult to love wisely, so easy to love too well?

source: - Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1872). “Charlotte's Inheritance: A Novel”, p.56

Topics: Love, Easy, Difficult

The strongest proof of repentance is the endeavor to atone.

Topics: Repentance, Endeavor, Proof

Our virtues, as well as our vices, are often scourges for our own backs.

source: - Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1881). “Asphodel, by the author of 'Lady Audley's secret'.”

Topics: Vices, Virtue, Wells

Life is such a very troublesome matter, when all is said and done, that it's as well even to take its blessings quietly.

source: - Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Lyn Pykett (2012). “Lady Audley's Secret”, p.111, Oxford University Press

Topics: Life, Blessing, Done, Said And Done

love, which is a madness, and a scourge, and a fever, and a delusion, and a snare, is also a mystery, and very imperfectly understood by everyone except the individual sufferer who writhes under its tortures.

source: - Mary Elizabeth Braddon (2009). “Lady Audley's Secret”, p.594, The Floating Press

Topics: Fever, Madness, Mystery

love is so very subtle an essence, such an indefinable metaphysical marvel, that its due force, though very cruelly felt by the sufferer himself, is never clearly understood by those who look on at its torments and wonder why he takes the common fever so badly.

source: - Mary Elizabeth Braddon (2015). “Lady Audley's Secret”, p.344, Sheba Blake Publishing

Topics: Love Is, Essence, Looks, Indefinable, Sufferers

Paris is a mighty schoolmaster, a grand enlightener of the provincial intellect.

source: - Mary Elizabeth Braddon (2016). “The Cloven Foot”, p.43, Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Topics: Paris, Intellect

London's like a forest ... we shall be lost in it.

Topics: Forests, London, Lost

Self-assertion may deceive the ignorant for a time; but when the noise dies away, we cut open the drum, and find it was emptiness that made the music.

source: - Mary Elizabeth Braddon (2014). “Aurora Floyd”, p.298, Jazzybee Verlag

Topics: Cutting, Self, Ignorant

Phoebe Marks was a person who never lost her individuality. Silent and self-contained, she seemed to hold herself within herself, and take no colour from the outer world.

source: - Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1997). “Lady Audley's Secret”, p.106, Wordsworth Editions

Topics: Self, Individuality, World, Outer Worlds, Self Contained

Exceptional talent does not always win its reward unless favored by exceptional circumstances.

Topics: Winning, Rewards, Doe

There can be no reconciliation where there is no open warfare. There must be a battle, a brave boisterous battle, with pennants waving and cannon roaring, before there can be peaceful treaties and enthusiastic shaking of hands.

source: - Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1949). “Murder by gaslight: Victorian tales”

Topics: Hands, Brave, Peaceful, Boisterous

Why, I can't help smiling at people, and speaking prettily to them. I know I'm no better than the rest of the world; but I can't help it if I'm pleasanter. It's constitutional.

source: - Mary Elizabeth Braddon (2015). “Lady Audley's Secret”, p.115, Sheba Blake Publishing

Topics: People, World, Helping

My intellect is a little way upon the wrong side of that narrow boundary-line between sanity and insanity.

source: - Mary Elizabeth Braddon (2009). “Lady Audley's Secret”, p.618, The Floating Press

Topics: Insanity, Lines, Littles

A priest can achieve great victories with an army of women at his command.

source: - Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1875). “Hostages to Fortune: A Novel”, p.13

Topics: Army, Victory, Achieve, Great Victory

Guilt soon learns to lie.

source: - Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1884). “Ishmael: A Novel”

Topics: Lying, Guilt

There is "a mental fatigue which is a spurious kind of remorse, and has all the anguish of the nobler feeling. It is an utter weariness and prostration of spirit, a sickness of heart and mind, a bitter longing to lie down and die.

source: - Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1872). “Charlotte's Inheritance: A Novel”, p.68

Topics: Lying, Heart, Feelings, Prostration

it is easy to starve, but it is difficult to stoop.

source: - Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Lyn Pykett (2012). “Lady Audley's Secret”, p.157, Oxford University Press

Topics: Poverty, Easy, Difficult, Stoops

Of course there are exceptional circumstances, and there is exceptional talent; but, unhappily, exceptional talent does not always win its reward unless favoured by exceptional circumstances.

source: - "Dead-sea Fruit".

Topics: Winning, Doe, Rewards

You seem to have quite a taste for discussing these horrible subjects," she said, rather scornfully; "you ought to have been a detective police officer.

source: - Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Lyn Pykett (2012). “Lady Audley's Secret”, p.124, Oxford University Press

Topics: Patience, Police, Taste