from "The Newcomes," by William Makepeace Thackeray
[after saying that one of the characters would like her nephew better if he had a title:]
"You toss down the page with scorn, and say, 'It is not true. Human nature is not so bad as this cynic would have it to be. You would make no difference between the rich and the poor.' Be it so. You would not. But own that your next-door neighbor would. Nor is this, dear madam, addressed to you; no, no, we are not so rude as to talk about you to your face; but if we may not speak of the lady who has just left the room, what is to become of conversation and society?"
"You toss down the page with scorn, and say, 'It is not true. Human nature is not so bad as this cynic would have it to be. You would make no difference between the rich and the poor.' Be it so. You would not. But own that your next-door neighbor would. Nor is this, dear madam, addressed to you; no, no, we are not so rude as to talk about you to your face; but if we may not speak of the lady who has just left the room, what is to become of conversation and society?"
posted by melilotnfosco | 11:27 PM
4 Comments:
I've read this three times now. Is he saying gossip is necessary? I suppose it's kind of true, what else WOULD we talk about? Even when I feel I have good intentions, I still talk about people. They're a part of my life and I want to be understood and to understand them.
His middle name is "Makepeace"?
he's not saying it's necessary, except in a sardonic way. he's saying we wouldn't know how to function without it.
and yes, sadly, it's makepeace.
cue pun about making peace about his middle name...
... and his last name
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