Mia

“…a swaggerer, who would aim at being noticeable even at a show of fireworks, regarding his own remarks on any other person’s performance as likely to be more interesting than the performance itself.”
― George Eliot, Middlemarch

“Why, they’re Lunnon chaps, I reckon,” said Hiram, who had a dim notion of London as a centre of hostility to the country.”
― George Eliot, Middlemarch

“Even if you’re going to live three thousand more years, or ten times that, remember: you cannot lose
another life than the one you’re living now, or live another one than the one you’re losing. The longest
amounts to the same as the shortest. The present is the same for everyone; its loss is the same for
everyone; and it should be clear that a brief instant is all that is lost. For you can’t lose either the past or
the future; how could you lose what you don’t have?”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

“Quite true,” rejoined Mr. Trumbull, quickly, “and most uncommonly useful to have a fender at hand that will cut, if you have a leather shoe-tie or a bit of string that wants cutting and no knife at hand: many a man has been left hanging because there was no knife to cut him down. Gentlemen, here’s a fender that if you had the misfortune to hang yourselves would cut you down in no time—with astonishing celerity—four-and-sixpence—five—five-and-sixpence—an appropriate thing for a spare bedroom where there was a four-poster and a guest a little out of his mind—six shillings—thank you, Mr. Clintup—going at six shillings—going—gone!”
― George Eliot, Middlemarch