But
I cannot find you, in the poorest and vilest parts of this city, any
block where the percentage of liars and thieves and bribe-givers is as
large as was that among the first-class passengers of that floating
palace. Each condition of society has its own mis-doings, and I believe
varies little in the percentage of wrong-doers to the whole."
"To hear Peter talk you would think the whole of us ought to be
sentenced to life terms," laughed Watts. "I believe it's only an attempt
on his part to increase the practice of lawyers."
"Do you really think people are so bad, Peter?" asked Leonore, sadly.
"No. I have not, ten times in my life, met a man whom I should now call
bad. I have met men whom I thought so, but when I knew them better I
found the good in them more than balancing the evil. Our mistake is in
supposing that some men are 'good' and others 'bad,' and that a sharp
line can be drawn between them. The truth is, that every man has both
qualities in him and in very few does the evil overbalance the good.
Pages:
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567