Book: Player

If I ever kill you, then you have to kill yourself to be; well, I'm going as long as possible not to kill this unbearable pain you feel.

What I fear your anger? I love without hope, and know that after this, a thousand times more will love you.

The slave theory is not suffering, and slavery require: "Reply not to talk!" Well, so be it.

The national form of the Frenchman, the Parisian, was formed in fine shape when we were still bears. The revolution was succeeded by the nobility. Now the most vulgar Frenchman may have manners, techniques, expressions and even thoughts are quite graceful in shape, not participating in this form nor by his initiative, no soul, no heart; all that fell to him by inheritance. By themselves, they can be even emptier and meaner meanest. Well, Mr. Astley, I'll tell you now that no creature in the world more gullible than kind and sincere, clever and not too broken Russian ladies.

People like to see their best friend in abasement; the humiliation is based mostly friendship.

All men are crowing cocks, and that is why they quarrel.

De Grieux was like all Frenchmen, that is fun and helpful when it is necessary and beneficial, and unbearably boring, when to be cheerful and helpful were no longer necessary. The Frenchman is rarely amiable naturally; it kind always seem to be on the order of calculation. If, for example, sees the need to be fabulous, original, neojidannoe, the fantasy of it, the most stupid and unnatural, consists of advance received, and has long been posluchace forms. Natural Frenchman is composed of the most Philistine, petty, everyday positiveness, - in short, the dullest person in the world. I think only newcomers and especially the Russian ladies, tempted by the French. Every good creature immediately noticeable and unbearable this red tape times the established forms of courtesy, salon, swagger and fun.

Sometimes Russians abroad are too cowardly and terribly afraid of what to say and how they look and will do well here so-and-so? - in a word, behave exactly in a corset, especially if you set the value. The most any of them - some biased, since a set form, which they follow slavishly in hotels, on promenades, at meetings, on the road...

But the pleasure is always of use, as for barbarous, unlimited power - even over a fly -- why, it is a kind of enjoyment. Man is a despot by nature and loves to be a torturer.

Yes, all Russians resemble you, and you know why: because we Russians are too richly endowed and many-sided that to probably choose out a decent shape. Here it is in the form. For the most part we Russians are so richly endowed, for decent shape, we need genius. Well, genius-that is most often not the case, because it rarely happens. It is only the French and perhaps some other Europeans so well defined form that it is possible to figure with extreme dignity, and yet be wholly undignified persons. Because so many the form of their means. The Frenchman will take an insult, present, cardiac insult and not wince, but slap in the face never outsource, because it is a violation of accepted and perpetuated forms of decency. That is why so greedy and our girls to the French that they are good.

... in the catechism of virtues and merits of the civilized Western man historically and became almost the main item, the ability of the acquisition of capital. And Russian is not only capable of acquiring capital, but even paying them for nothing and ugly. However, we, Russian, you also need the money, ' I added, and therefore we are very susceptible to such methods, such as roulette, where you can get rich suddenly, in two hours, without working. We are very tempted, but since we play in, without labour, and lost!

A true gentleman, if he lost all his fortune, should not worry. Money should be below gentilmente, which is almost not worth it to take care of them. Of course, very aristocratic does not notice all this dirt all this bastard and the whole situation. However, sometimes no less aristocratic and readmission to notice, that is, to look at, to even be considered, for instance in binoculars, all this scum: but not otherwise taking all this crowd and all this dirt for a kind of entertainment, as if for performance, designed for gentlemen's fun. It is possible to jostle in the crowd, but to look around with perfect conviction that actually you are the observer and it does not belong to its composition. However, and very closely monitored again do not: again, it will not be a gentleman, because in any case the spectacle is not worth much and too close supervision. There's no that much of a spectacle worthy of observation too much of a gentleman.

- You are not a coward? She asked me suddenly.
- I don't know, maybe a coward. Don't know -- I about it have not thought.

They say bad luck trying happiness twice in a row in the same table.