A man who wills fiercely to win the heart of a weak and vapourish woman MUST succeed, if he have opportunity enough.
 William Makepeace Thackeray, The Luck of Barry Lyndon (1844). copy citation

Context

“saw that my praise of her charms and the exposition of my passion were not unwelcome to her, and witnessed with triumphant composure the mastery I was gaining over her. Terror, be sure of that, is not a bad ingredient of love. A man who wills fiercely to win the heart of a weak and vapourish woman MUST succeed, if he have opportunity enough. ‘Terrible man!’ said Lady Lyndon, shrinking from me as soon as I had done speaking (indeed, I was at a loss for words, and thinking of another speech to make to her) —‘terrible man! leave me.’ I saw that I had made an impression on her, from those very words.” source