Always it devolves upon the man to take the initiative.  But, again,

Always the man must pretend that he takes no initiative.  But, again,

Always the woman must pretend that she gives no opportunity.

The game of love is not only one of chance but one of skill.  What irks man is that a woman pretends that she must be circumvented by wiles.  But

Man was ever a clumsy wooer.  Nevertheless,

It is only the man who thinks he is too venturesome.  Since

The iciest woman sometimes thaws.  And

The austerer a woman, the sweeter her surrender.  And, again, A woman is never sweeter than in surrender.  Accordingly,

“De l’audace, et encore de l’audace, et toujours de l’audace"(2) should be the motto of every wooer.  Since

Audacity if beloved of women; but it must be an audacity born of Sincerity and educated b y Discretion.  At all events

Beware timidity,—­it is fatal.

(2) Danton

* * *

With women, nothing is more conquering than conquest; nothing so irresistible as resistance.  On the other hand,

Resistance on the part of the woman is an effort put forth for the purpose of defeating its own object.

* * *

A man prizes only what he has fought for.  No one knows this better than a woman.  This is why

A woman’s capitulation she always makes to appear as a capture.  And

Where there are no defense works, a woman will erect them.

Foolish that man who does not storm entrenchments.  For

Resistance on the part of a woman is a wall which a man is expected to leap.  His agility is the measure of her approbation.

* * *

Arouse a woman’s interest, and you arouse much.  But
Having failed, disappear.  Yet

It takes very many futile attempts to make a failure.  At the same time,

Importunity is an inferior weapon.

* * *

A conditional surrender is no surrender.  But

A woman’s surrender is in reality a desertion, a going over to the enemy. 
Thenceforward she is an ally.  Indeed

A woman’s capitulation is her conquest.

* * *

Let no amount of simulated austerity deter you.  The marble Galatea came to life at the prayer of a man.

* * *

The number of modes in which a woman can say ‘Yes’ has not, up to the present, be accurately enumerated; but perhaps the one most frequently in use is the negative imperative.  And

Many are the men who have puzzled long and painfully over the motives of a woman’s ‘No.’  Yet in nine cases out of ten a woman says ‘No’ merely because she feels herself on the brink of saying ‘Yes’.  In other words,

It is often mistrust of herself that leads many a woman to refuse it will the lips the consent that is fluttering at her heart.  Perhaps that is why