'Most people think that marriage may be regarded as a means of happiness,' observed Ippolito.
'Most people are imbeciles,' answered Orsino gloomily.
Ippolito laughed, watching his brother's face, but he said nothing in reply.
'As a general rule,' Orsino continued presently, 'talking is a question of height and not of intelligence. The shorter men and women are, the more they talk; the taller they are, the more silent they are, in nine cases out of ten. Of course there are exceptions, but you can generally tell at a glance whether any particular person is a great talker. Brains are certainly not measurable by inches. Therefore conversation has nothing to do with brains. Therefore most people are fools.'
'Do you call that an argument?' asked the priest, still smiling.
'No. It is an observation.'
'And what do you deduce from it?'
'From it, and from a great many other things, I deduce and conclude that what we call society is a degrading farce. It encourages talking, when no one has anything to say. It encourages marriage, without love. It sets up fashion against taste, taste against sense, and sense against heart. It is a machinery for promoting emotion among the unfeeling. It is a—'
Orsino stopped, hesitating.