idiosyncrasy. You have attached yourself to the modern doctrine of a
struggle for existence, and look on life as a perpetual combat."

"A fight? Just so. What is life but a fight? The curs forfeit or get
beaten; the rogues sell the fight and lose the confidence of their
backers; the game ones and the clever ones win the stakes, and have
to hand over the lion's share of them to the loafers; and luck plays
the devil with them all in turn. That's not the way they describe
life in books; but that's what it is."

"Oddly put, but perhaps true. Still, is there any need of a
struggle? Is not the world large enough for us all to live
peacefully in?"

"YOU may think so, because you were born with a silver spoon in your
mouth. But if you hadn't to fight for that silver spoon, some one
else had; and no doubt he thought it hard that it should be taken
away from him and given to you. I was a snob myself once, and
thought the world was made for me to enjoy myself and order about
the poor fellows whose bread I was eating. But I was left one day
where I couldn't grab any more of their bread, and had to make some
for myself--ay, and some extra for loafers that had the power to
make me pay for what they didn't own. That took the conceit out of
me fast enough. But what do you know about such things?"

"More than you think, perhaps. These are dangerous ideas to take
with you into English society."

"Hmf!" growled Cashel. "They'd be more dangerous if I could give
every man that is robbed of half what he earns twelve lessons--in