Lady Emily: No. I mean that he was frank when he was alone with me.
Ann: What a divine compliment.
Lady Emily: The truth is the most tiresome of all compliments.
Lord William: When I am flattered I always imagine that I have been told the truth.
Lady Emily: William has always been vain—whereas I have been selfish, which is a much more artistic achievement. When William was young, he succumbed to every temptation—a sad lack both of fastidiousness and of concentration. I, on the other hand, determined to miss chances and take opportunities. I succeeded.
Lord William: Your aunt means that she remained unmarried.
Lady Emily: On purpose.
Lord William: A misguided objective.
Lady Emily: Why?
Lord William: The stationary is no achievement.