A lady’s imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.
It is always incomprehensible to a man that a woman should ever refuse an offer of marriage.

A mind lively and at ease, can do with seeing nothing, and can see nothing that does not answer.

I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle.

A woman, especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can.

Every man is surrounded by a neighborhood of voluntary spies. For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors and laugh at them in our turn?
Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings.

Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. Husbands and wives generally understand when opposition will be vain.

How quick come the reasons for approving what we like!

Nothing is more deceitful than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast.

Human nature is so well disposed towards those who are in interesting situations, that a young person, who either marries or dies, is sure of being kindly spoken of.

I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal.

No man is offended by another man’s admiration of the woman he loves; it is the woman only who can make it a torment.

If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.

Jane Austen (16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelis.