“ no one approves more than I of one’s pleasing one’s self. ”
Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady (1881). copy citation
| Author | Henry James |
|---|---|
| Source | The Portrait of a Lady |
| Topic | self-knowledge |
| Date | 1881 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2833/2833-h/2833-h.htm |
Context
“I don’t think she spends much of her time in thinking of him, and I suspect he has got tired of waiting for her. There’s nothing in life to prevent her marrying Mr. Osmond if she only looks at him in a certain way. That’s all very well; no one approves more than I of one’s pleasing one’s self. But she takes her pleasure in such odd things; she’s capable of marrying Mr. Osmond for the beauty of his opinions or for his autograph of Michael Angelo. She wants to be disinterested: as if she were the only person who’s in danger of not being so!”
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