"There being no crime, we can hardly speak of other crimes," said OMTLM. "But perhaps in another matter of speaking, you refer to—"
"Crimes of violence," said Marlow.
"Saving your presence, and formula of a formula, what would we have to be violent about? What possible cause?"
"The usual: greed, lust, jealousy, anger, revenge, plain perversity."
"Here also it is possible for one to die of shame, sometimes the offender, sometimes the victim, sometimes both. A jealous person might permit both his wife and her paramour to die of shame. And the State in turn might permit him to perish likewise, unless there were circumstances to modify the degree of shame; then he might still continue to live, often in circumscribed circumstances, for a set number of years. Each case must be decided on its own merits."
"I understand your meaning. But why build a fence around it?"
"I do not know what you mean."
"I believe that you do. Why are the Polite People of Pudibundia so polite? Is it simply custom?"
"It is more than that," said the polite Pud.
"Then there is a real reason for it? And can you tell it to me?"