I know you despise me; allow me to say, it is because you do not understand me.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

I'll not listen to reason... reason always means what someone else has got to say.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

Indeed! I am truly glad to hear it. I always, always fond of Osborne; and, do you know, I never really took to Roger; I respected him and all that, of course. But to compare him with Mr. Henderson! Mr. Henderson is so handsome and well-bred, and gets all his gloves from Hooligan!

— Elizabeth Gaskell

In the first place, Cranford is in possession of the Amazons; all the holders of houses above a certain rent are women. If a married couple come to settle in the town, somehow the gentleman disappears; he is either fairly frightened to death by being the only man in the Cranford parties, or he is accounted for by being with his regiment, his hip, or closely engaged in business all the week in the great neighboring commercial town of Crumble, distant only twenty miles on a railroad. In short, whatever does become of the gentlemen, they are not at Cranford.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

I only mean, Bess, there's good and bad in everything in this world; and as you felt the bad up here, I thought it was but fair you should know the bad down there.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

It might, or it might not. There's two opinions to go settling that point. But suppose it was truth double strong, it were no truth to me if I couldn take it in. I daresay there's truth in yon Latin book on your shelves; but it's gibberish and not truth to me unless I know the meaning o' the words.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

It seemed as though he gave way all at once; he was so languid that he could not control his thoughts; they would wander to her; they would bring back the scene,- not of his repulse and rejection the day before but the looks, the actions of the day before that. He went along the crowded streets mechanically, winding in and out among the people, but never seeing them, -almost sick with longing for that one half-hour-that one brief space of time when she clung to him, and her heart beat against his-to come once again.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

It was her brother,' said Mr. Thornton to himself. 'I am glad. I may never see her again; but it is comfort-a relief-to know that much. I knew she could not be maidenly; and yet I yearned for conviction. Now I am glad!' It was a little golden thread running through the dark web of his present fortunes; which were growing ever gloomier and more gloomy.

— Elizabeth Gaskell

I value my own independence so highly that I can fancy no degradation greater than that of having another man perpetually directing and advising and lecturing me, or even planning too closely in any way about my actions. He might be the wisest of men, or the most powerful--I should equally rebel and resent his interference...

— Elizabeth Gaskell

I wanted to see the place where Margaret grew to what she is, even at the worst time of all, when I had no hope of ever calling her mine.

— Elizabeth Gaskell