“Then all I can say is, that contempt has very extraordinary manifestations. Among other strange things, it makes me cover my paper with that pattern when I ought to be writing on the Mosaic Economy.”
“Cosmogony, you mean.”
“Well, then, Cosmogony.”
“Cosmogony is such a delicious word! It has been the hope of my life to be able to introduce it in a conversation. There is only one other word that compares with it.”
“What is it?”
“I am afraid to pronounce it.”
“Try, at any rate.”
“Idiosyncrasy,” said Mrs. Thornton. “For five or six years I have been on the look-out for an opportunity to use that word, and thus far I have been unsuccessful. I fear that if the opportunity did occur I would call it ‘idiocracy.’ In fact, I know I would.”
“And what would be the difference? Your motive would be right, and it is to motives that we must look, not acts.”
After some further badinage, Mrs. Thornton drew a letter from her pocket.