Return no evil for evil

From Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell's Wives and Daughters:

"...don't repeat evil on any authority unless you can do some good by speaking about it."

Lovely fools!

From Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell:

"But sometimes one likes foolish people for their folly, better than wise people for their wisdom."

And this quote by Mr. Gibson is so true in the case of poor Cynthia -- it is only her foolish love that makes her likable.  Her calculated relationships are what makes the detestable parts of her character.  But her love for Molly is very, very sweet.

Ah...Regret

From Cynthia Kirkpatrick in Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters:

"How easy it is to judge rightly after one sees what evil comes from judging wrongly..."

Cynthia's life is not one of forethought, but rather one of regret.