When the Devil Goethe about like a roaring lion, he Goethe about in a shape by which few but savages and hunters are attracted. But, when he is trimmed, smoothed, and varnished, according to the mode: when he is aware of vice, and aware of virtue, used up as to brimstone, and used up as to bliss; then, whether he takes to the serving out of red tape, or to the kindling of red fire, he is the very Devil.

— Charles Dickens

Where is your false, your treacherous, and cursed wife?"" She's gone forward to the Police Office," returns Mr Bucket. "You'll see her there, my dear."" I would like to kiss her!" exclaims Mademoiselle Shortens, panting tigress-like. "You'd bite her, I suspect," says Mr Bucket." I would!" making her eyes very large. "I would love to tear her, limb from limb."" Bless you, darling," says Mr Bucket, with the greatest composure; "I'm fully prepared to hear that. Your sex have such a surprising animosity against one another, when you do differ.

— Charles Dickens

Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.

— Charles Dickens

Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. To begin my life with the beginning of my life, I record that I was born (as I have been informed and believe) on a Friday, at twelve o’clock at night. It was remarked that the clock began to strike, and I began to cry, simultaneously.

— Charles Dickens

Who am I, for God's sake, that I should be kind!

— Charles Dickens

Who is Mr. Jasper?" Rosa turned aside her head in answering: "Eddy's uncle, and my music-master."" You do not love him?"" Ugh!" She put her hands up to her face, and shook with fear or horror." You know that he loves you?"" O, don't, don't, don't!" cried Rosa, dropping on her knees, and clinging to her new resource. "Don't tell me of it! He terrifies me. He haunts my thoughts, like a dreadful ghost. I feel that I am never safe from him. I feel as if he could pass in through the wall when he is spoken of." She actually did look round, as if she dreaded to see him standing in the shadow behind her." Try to tell me more about it, darling."" Yes, I will, I will. Because you are so strong. But hold me the while, and stay with me afterward."" My child! You speak as if he had threatened you in some dark way."" He has never spoken to me about - that. Never."" What has he done?"" He has made a slave of me with his looks. He has forced me to understand him, without his saying a word; and he has forced me to keep silence, without his uttering a threat. When I play, he never moves his eyes from my hands. When I sing, he never moves his eyes from my lips. When he corrects me, and strikes a note, or a chord, or plays a passage, he himself is in the sounds, whispering that he pursues me as a lover, and commanding me to keep his secret. I avoid his eyes, but he forces me to see them without looking at them. Even when a glaze comes over them (which is sometimes the case), and he seems to wander away into a frightful sort of dream in which he threatens most, he obliges me to know it, and to know that he is sitting close at my side, more terrible to me than ever."" What is this imagined threatening, pretty one? What is threatened?"" I don't know. I have never even dared to think or wonder what it is."" And was this all, to-night?"" This was all; except that to-night when he watched my lips so closely as I was singing, besides feeling terrified I felt ashamed and passionately hurt. It was as if he kissed me, and I couldn't bear it, but cried out. You must never breathe this to anyone. Eddy is devoted to him. But you said to-night that you would not be afraid of him, under any circumstances, and that gives me - who am so much afraid of him - courage to tell only you. Hold me! Stay with me! I am too frightened to be left by myself.

— Charles Dickens

Why look'e, young gentleman," said Toby, "when a man keeps himself so very exclusive as I have done, and by that means has a snug house over his head with nobody a-prying and smelling about it, it's rather a starling thing to have the honor of a visit from a young gentleman (however respectable and pleasant a person he may be to play cards with at convenience) circumstanced as you are.

— Charles Dickens

Wish me everything that you can wish for the woman you dearly love, and I have as good as got it, John. I have better than got it, John.

— Charles Dickens

Wood court: “Miss Summerson,” said Mr. Wood court, “if without obtruding myself on your confidence I may remain near you, pray let me do so.” Esther: “You are truly kind,” I answered. “I need to wish to keep no secret of my own from you; if I keep any, it is another’s.” Woodcourt: “I quite understand. Trust me, I will remain near you only so long as I can fully respect it.” Esther: “I trust implicitly to you,” I said, “I know and deeply feel how sacredly you keep your promise.” - pg.807

— Charles Dickens

You are fettered," said Scrooge, trembling. "Tell me why?"" I wear the chain I forged in life," replied the Ghost. "I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it.

— Charles Dickens