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Charles Dickens

It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done

It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.

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Charles Dickens

Liberty, equality, fraternity, or death; — the last, much the easiest to bestow, O Guillotine!

Liberty, equality, fraternity, or death; — the last, much the easiest to bestow, O Guillotine!

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Charles Dickens

Repression is the only lasting philosophy.

Repression is the only lasting philosophy.

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Charles Dickens

every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.

A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.

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Charles Dickens

Whatever was required to be done, the Circumlocution Office was beforehand with all the public departments in the art of perceiving – HOW NOT TO DO IT.

Whatever was required to be done, the Circumlocution Office was beforehand with all the public departments in the art of perceiving – HOW NOT TO DO IT.

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Charles Dickens

Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold

Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day.

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Charles Dickens

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

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Charles Dickens

It is blind devotion, unquestioning self-humiliation, utter submission

“I’ll tell you,” said she, in the same hurried passionate whisper, “what real love is. It is blind devotion, unquestioning self-humiliation, utter submission, trust and belief against yourself and against the whole world, giving up your whole heart and soul to the smiter – as I did!”

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Charles Dickens

it was impossible for me to separate her…from the innermost life of my life.

In a word, it was impossible for me to separate her, in the past or in the present, from the innermost life of my life.

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Charles Dickens

I was very much ill-used by somebody, or by everybody; I can’t say which

Then she softly patted my shoulder in a soothing way, while with my face upon my sleeve I cried a little – exactly as I had done in the brewery yard – and felt vaguely convinced that I was very much ill-used by somebody, or by everybody; I can’t say which.

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Charles Dickens

…she would have derived only pain, and no pleasure, from giving me pain

…she would have derived only pain, and no pleasure, from giving me pain; she would far rather have wounded her own breast than mine.