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Conrad, Joseph, 1857-1924

"Chance"


"Why undeserved?" she wanted to know.
"I engaged these rooms by letter without asking any questions. It might
have been an abominable hole," I explained to her. "I always do things
like that. I don't like to be bothered. This is no great proof of
sagacity--is it? Sagacious people I believe like to exercise that
faculty. I have heard that they can't even help showing it in the
veriest trifles. It must be very delightful. But I know nothing of it.
I think that I have no sagacity--no practical sagacity."
Fyne made an inarticulate bass murmur of protest. I asked after the
children whom I had not seen yet since my return from town. They had
been very well. They were always well. Both Fyne and Mrs. Fyne spoke of
the rude health of their children as if it were a result of moral
excellence; in a peculiar tone which seemed to imply some contempt for
people whose children were liable to be unwell at times. One almost felt
inclined to apologize for the inquiry. And this annoyed me;
unreasonably, I admit, because the assumption of superior merit is not a
very exceptional weakness.


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