"Humanity is not perfect in any fashion; no more in the case of evil than in that of good. The criminal has his virtues, just as the honest man has his weaknesses."
— Pierre Choderlos de Laclos (Les Liaisons Dangereuses)

"I can see that you're in love, but only in a very narrow sense. It's the love of someone that finds charms and qualities in a woman that she doesn't actually have, who puts her in a class apart with every one else in second place, and who stays attached to her even while he's abusing her."
— Pierre Choderlos de Laclos (Les Liaisons Dangereuses)