It was like making a blunder at a party; there was nothing to do about it, it was dreadfully mortifying, but it showed a lack of sense to ascribe too… - William Somerset Maugham

Oh, my dear boy, one mustn't expect gratitude. It's a thing that no one has a right to. After all, you do good because it gives you pleasure. It's the purest form of happiness there is. To expect thanks for it is really asking too much. If you get it, well, it's like a bonus on shares on which you've already received a dividend; it's grand, but you mustn't look upon it as your due.
[The back of beyond]

I hate people who play bridge as though they were at a funeral and knew their feet were getting wet.

Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit.