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[Mesnilgrand] had the gift of sarcasm. But that was not the only gift that almighty God had given him. While character was the dominant force in his constitution, wit occupied the second place and was a real strength for him to use against others. There is no doubt that if the Chevalier de Mesnilgrand had been a fortunate man, he would have been a great wit; but as an unfortunate, he had the opinions of a desperate man, and when he was in high spirits, which was rare, there was something desperate about him; and nothing will shatter the kaleidoscope of wit more readily, preventing it from twisting and casting ever new splendors, than a fixed, steady unhappiness.
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