“There is nothing that can, in the dark become true”

“They are between. Not what they used to be, and not what they have become. In those times, they are nothing. And I am invisible, and I am nothing too. That is the true demimonde, Lucien, and the secret is, it is not always desperate and dark. Sometimes it is just nothing. No burden of potential or regret. There are worse things than being nothing, my friend.”

“Since [man's] true nature has been lost, anything can become his nature: similarly, true good being lost, anything can become his true good.”

“This means, in a way, that true light is dependent on the presence of other lights. Take the others away and darkness results. Yet the reverse is not true: take away darkness and there is only more darkness. Darkness can exist by itself. Light cannot.”

“Nothing is wholly obvious without becoming enigmatic. Reality itself is too obvious to be true.”

“Nothing can be beautiful which is not true.”