“Probably, exceptions are mostly unnatural.”
“It is not unnatural to object to have one’s sensations flayed alive!”
“Such sensitiveness is unnatural to a low under-fed semi-sentient state of life, such people have enough to do to keep body and soul together, without considering them apart.”
“But I contend they do consider them apart, they do make investigations.”
“Yes, into the vices of their betters, which have a perennial interest for them as being beyond their reach. You won’t catch them as a rule classifying one another and flaying souls. These are the distractions of the leisure classes.”
“Then,” said Gwen, “I wish I had been born in the other class.”
“To what purpose?” said her husband, “you would have been an exception.”
“Oh, then,” she said impatiently, “I shall in future reserve all my pity for the exceptions, and retain my normal hardness of heart for the other crowd. I never could get universal philanthropy to appeal to me, and it’s comfortable to put one’s want of humanity on a reasonable basis. But those generations of square pegs in round holes, they worry one! And yet people speak of a just God!”
“Poor God! What should we do without that universal scape-grace? As if He had anything to do with the matter! The fathers have trusted to chance, and the children suffer.
“But at any rate whether the fathers or God are the real scape-goats it’s quite original nowadays to profess faith in justice, and to refrain from railing against the Almighty, so we’ll let God and heredity have a rest; besides, we are losing the pauper scent and getting that of the country—did you catch that whiff? I am glad we are down this hill, the horses are unaccountable.”