human
Good day, gentlemen, Norman said.
gpt
Allow me to present you to Mrs. Benson.
human
Now, he said, when the man had read it,
gpt
Hello, he said.
human
Give them my congratulations. Say. You beat me to it in great shape. Too bad you ain’t in politics. I’d like to have you on my staff. And say—Blackie has gone on a railroad journey for his health. Now you fellows ain’t going to be nasty are you and make me pay that five thousand dollars bail? The club’s got a new president. He’s just been round to see me, says the boys are sorer than hell over the job you put up on them. I told him to keep the lid on. I says to him, ’Those two young gentlemen are my friends.’ You are, ain’t you?
gpt
Well, I said,
human
Fine, he replied.
gpt
That’s cleaned up. And say—they’re taking on some more men in the dock department to-morrow—room for any of your friends. And—don’t forget to give my best wishes to the bride—and groom. I like a fellow that’s a real sport.
human
Good luck.
gpt
Eccentric Millionaire Weds Street Walker.
human
Prominent Socialist Leader, to avoid state prison, married a little girl he had seduced.
gpt
I’m glad, Norman said, as he glanced at the headlines,
human
God! That sounds good, he commented.
gpt
I never knew just how to do it. I’ve spent many a sleepless night trying to think out some effective way of telling the ’best people’ to go to hell—some way of spitting in the eyes of the smug citizens—so they wouldn’t think it was a joke. Every time I get mad—really open up—and tell the gang what I think of them how the stench of their hypocrisies offends my nostrils, it adds to my reputation as a wit. I guess this will fix them! You know that thing of Heine’s....
human
Memoirs from the shelf and read me the passage where Heine tells of his boyish encounter with
gpt
Red Safchen, the hangman’s little daughter. Although the good people of the village where he went to school tolerated the office of public executioner, they would have no dealing with the officer. His family was mercilessly ostracised. Heinrich took pity on the daughter and once in a sudden exaltation he kissed her. In these words he ends his account:
human
I kissed her not only because of my tender feeling for her, but in scorn of society and all its dark prejudices.
gpt
That’s it, Norman said gleefully.
human
I’ve always wished I could find a hangman’s daughter and kiss her somewhere in public—show the empty-headed, full-bellied gang how I despise them. Nina’s done it for me.