“He seems a nice man, certainly; he has a nice smile, but strange views, I'm afraid.”
“He thinks the Germans are not much worse than we are; he says that a good many of us are bullies too.”
“Yes, that is the sort of thing I mean.”
“But are we, Daddy?”
“Surely not.”
“A policeman I talked to once said the same. Captain Fort says that very few men can stand having power put into their hands without being spoiled. He told me some dreadful stories. He says we have no imagination, so that we often do things without seeing how brutal they are.”
“We're not perfect, Nollie; but on the whole I think we're a kind people.”
Noel was silent a moment, then said suddenly:
“Kind people often think others are kind too, when they really aren't. Captain Fort doesn't make that mistake.”
“I think he's a little cynical, and a little dangerous.”