Quotes from These Old Shades

Georgette Heyer ·  352 pages

Rating: (13.1K votes)


“Remind me one day to teach you how to achieve a sneer, Hugh. Yours is too pronounced, and thus but a grimace. It should be but a faint curl of the lips.”
― Georgette Heyer, quote from These Old Shades


“His Grace was at her side, and lifted her down from the chair.
"My enfant," he said , "duchesses do not dance on chairs, nor do they call their brothers 'imbécile'."
Léonie's twinkled irrepressibly.
"I do," she said firmly.”
― Georgette Heyer, quote from These Old Shades


“Léonie, you will do well to consider. You are not the first woman in my life."

She smiled through her tears. "Monseigneur, I would so much rather be the last woman than the first,” she said.”
― Georgette Heyer, quote from These Old Shades


“My house seems remarkably full of people," he observed. "Is it possible we were expected.”
― Georgette Heyer, quote from These Old Shades


“A certain cynicism, born of the life she has led; a streak of strange wisdom; the wistfulness behind the gaiety; sometimes fear; and nearly always the memory of loneliness that hurts the soul.”
― Georgette Heyer, quote from These Old Shades



“Child, you do not know me. You have created a mythical being in my likeness whom you have set up as a god. It is not I. Many times, infant, I have told you that I am no hero, but I think you have not believed me. I tell you now that I am no fit mate for you...My reputation is damaged beyond repair, child. I come from vicious stock, and I have brought no honor to the name I bear. To no women have I been faithful; behind me lies scandal upon sordid scandal...You have seen perhaps the best of me; you have not seen the worst'

'Ah, Monseigneur, you need not have told me this! I know--I have always known, and still I love you. I do not want a boy. I only want Monseigneur.”
― Georgette Heyer, quote from These Old Shades


“M'sieur, I am as a slave to my wife." He kissed the tips of his fingers. "I am as the dirt beneath her feet." He clasped his hands. "I must bestow on her all that she desires, or die!"

"Pray make use of my sword, " invited his Grace. "It is in the corner behind you.”
― Georgette Heyer, quote from These Old Shades


“Wonderful!" said the Duke. "We progress!"
"We...? Progress? You said we? Progress?"
"It seems I erred," Avon sighed. "We remain at the same place.”
― Georgette Heyer, quote from These Old Shades


“Monseigneur, I have killed you! You are dead! You are dead!"

You display an unseemly joy," he remarked. "I had no notion you were so bloodthirsty.”
― Georgette Heyer, quote from These Old Shades


“I do not want a boy. I only want Monseigneur!”
― Georgette Heyer, quote from These Old Shades



“I am relieved. May I now have the truth?”
― Georgette Heyer, quote from These Old Shades


“I cannot bear to go back alone - to the world I have lived in with you.”
― Georgette Heyer, quote from These Old Shades


“I believe I have several times requested you not to call Rupert 'imbecile', infant."
"But Monseigheur, he is an imbecile!" she protested. "You know he is!"
"Undoubtedly, ma fille, but I do not tell the whole world so."
"Then I do not know what I am to call him," said Leonie.”
― Georgette Heyer, quote from These Old Shades


“It must have been-hell!" Merivale said.

"Just so," bowed his Grace. "It was the very worst kind of hell, as I know."

"The wonder is that she has come through it unscathed."

The hazel eyes lifted.

"Not quite unscathed, my dear Anthony. Those years have left their mark."

"It were inevitable, I suppose. But I confess I have not seen the mark."

"Possibly not. You see the roguery, and the dauntless spirit."

"And you?" Merivale watched him curiously.

"Oh, I see beneath, my dear! But then, I have had experience of the sex, as you know."

"And you see-what?"

"A certain cynicism, born of the life she has led; a streak of strange wisdom; the wistfulness behind the gaiety; sometimes fear; and nearly always the memory of loneliness that hurts the soul.”
― Georgette Heyer, quote from These Old Shades


“Of a certainty Madame has died," Leonie said wickedly. "Tiens, c'est bien drole!”
― Georgette Heyer, quote from These Old Shades



“You'll dine with us, Comte? And you, Anthony?"
"I trespass on your hospitality!" Armand protested.
"Devil a bit, man!" said Rupert. "It's Avon's hospitality you trespass on, and our patience.”
― Georgette Heyer, quote from These Old Shades


About the author

Georgette Heyer
Born place: in The United Kingdom
Born date August 16, 1902
See more on GoodReads

Popular quotes

“But let me be a lover in the Savage Garden with you, and the light that went out of life would come back in a great burst of glory. Out of mortal flesh I would pass into eternity. I would be one of you.” - Daniel”
― Anne Rice, quote from The Queen of the Damned


“Let the jagged edge of sobriety be now dulled.”
― Richard Matheson, quote from I Am Legend and Other Stories


“Joy—damn, but that’s a cheerful little word.”
― Stephen King, quote from The Talisman


“For my true thoughts have spent more time in your company than in anyone else's, these last two or three months, and where my thoughts are, there am I, in truth".”
― A.S. Byatt, quote from Possession


“I stepped out of the shelter of my savior’s arm and turned to thank him. Standing before me was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.”
― Sarah J. Maas, quote from A Court of Thorns and Roses


Interesting books

The Moth Diaries
(2.2K)
The Moth Diaries
by Rachel Klein
Progress and Poverty
(232)
Progress and Poverty
by Henry George
Descent into Hell
(1.7K)
Descent into Hell
by Charles Williams
The Tetherballs of Bougainville
(1K)
The Tetherballs of B...
by Mark Leyner
Coldheart Canyon
(6.4K)
Coldheart Canyon
by Clive Barker
Our Lady of the Lost and Found: A Novel of Mary, Faith, and Friendship
(1.3K)
Our Lady of the Lost...
by Diane Schoemperlen

About BookQuoters

BookQuoters is a community of passionate readers who enjoy sharing the most meaningful, memorable and interesting quotes from great books. As the world communicates more and more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become more relevant and important. For some of us a quote becomes a mantra, a goal or a philosophy by which we live. For all of us, quotes are a great way to remember a book and to carry with us the author’s best ideas.

We thoughtfully gather quotes from our favorite books, both classic and current, and choose the ones that are most thought-provoking. Each quote represents a book that is interesting, well written and has potential to enhance the reader’s life. We also accept submissions from our visitors and will select the quotes we feel are most appealing to the BookQuoters community.

Founded in 2023, BookQuoters has quickly become a large and vibrant community of people who share an affinity for books. Books are seen by some as a throwback to a previous world; conversely, gleaning the main ideas of a book via a quote or a quick summary is typical of the Information Age but is a habit disdained by some diehard readers. We feel that we have the best of both worlds at BookQuoters; we read books cover-to-cover but offer you some of the highlights. We hope you’ll join us.