- Alick Wylie: What is charm exactly, Maggie?
- Maggie Wylie: Oh, it's... it's a sort of bloom on a woman. If you have it, you don't need anything else. And if you don't have it, it doesn't much matter what else you have. Some women, a few, have charm for all, and most have charm for one, and some have charm for none.
- Charles Venables: I'm sorry not to find him at home. I wanted to talk to him about, about the speech he's preparing on the Gold Standard.
- Maggie Wylie: Well, I typewrite his speeches, if there's anything I can tell you.
- Charles Venables: I could never think of acquiring information in that way.
- La Contessa la Brierre: [scoffs loudly] No, no!
- Maggie Wylie: He did say something about- what was that about? About the majority of the party wanting to remain on the Gold Standard.
- Charles Venables: Does he realise that it may mean a crash for England if we stick to Gold?
- Maggie Wylie: Oh, but in that case the majority would then change their views, wouldn't they?
- Charles Venables: The majority will never change.
- Maggie Wylie: That would be too bad, wouldn't it?
- Charles Venables: In a national crisis, Mrs Shand, men have been known to put their country above their party.
- Mr. David Wylie: That's the way I like to hear you talk. A young Scotsman turned loose on the world with three hundred pounds. What could he not do? It's appalling to think of. Especially if he went among the English.
- Maggie Wylie: Is it true that you've never laughed in your life, John?
- John Shand: It is.
- Maggie Wylie: Oh, what a pity.
- John Shand: Why?
- Maggie Wylie: I think no one could ever like me very much they couldn't laugh at me a little. Goodnight.
- James Wylie: [talking mostly to himself, about the agreement made between John Shand and Maggie] It's the most romantical affair. I wonder how it'll turn out. She's *queer*- Maggie. I wonder how some clever writer has never noted how *queer* women are. It's my belief you can write a *whole* book about 'em. It was very noble of her to tell him she was 26. I thought she was 27.
- La Contessa la Brierre: He can't be worthy of you. No man could. Why do you do it?
- Maggie Wylie: [as Mrs. John Shand] I'm six years older than he is. I'm plain and I have no charm. I shouldn't have let him marry me. I'm trying to make up for it.
- Lady Sybil Tenterden: Countess, uh, do leave us, won't you?
- La Contessa la Brierre: Not I - far too interesting.
- Maggie Wylie: [as John's wife] It's nothing unusual I've done, John. Every man who is high up loves to think he's done it all himself. Every woman knows that. It's our only due.
- Mr. David Wylie: Are you takin' the book to your bed, Maggie?
- Maggie Wylie: Yes. I don't want him to be knowin' things I don't know myself.
- Charles Venables: Countess, it has been marvelous seeing you again - positively marvelous.
- La Contessa la Brierre: Thirty years and he hasn't stopped lying.