Theodor Fontane

Do I mean to marry Lene?  No.  Have I promised her I would?  No.  Does she expect it?  No.  Or will parting be any easier for us if I defer it?  No, no, and no again.

From his 1888 novel, "On Tangled Paths."  The speaker is a dashing young officer and member of an aristocratic family.  Lene is a pretty young seamstress.  They are in love, but neither has any illusions that they will marry one another instead of someone more "suitable."  Fontane is a highly-praised German novelist who is largely unknown in the United States.  He declared his intention to become a novelist as he was nearing his 60th birthday, and eventually produced 17 novels -- an inspiration to many of us.

Theodor Fontane