human
Puffey was telling me yesterday about the proposal he had made to you of joining their force. Do you intend giving that proposal any serious consideration?
gpt
Well, I scarcely know,
human
But you don’t mean to say the prospect it holds out is better than the one before you here?
gpt
No, I don’t think it is. The only charm about it is the excitement it offers.
human
There may be some attraction in that to a single man, with youth and health in front of him; but the advance is slow and uncertain, and the life somewhat precarious.
gpt
Surely you are not thinking of leaving us so soon?
human
I can hardly say that, said Fellows thoughtfully.
gpt
But the life here is so dull and monotonous, I must have a change of some sort. I want excitement. I feel at times as if I should go mad!
human
Isn’t there any of the men you can make companions of, to spend an occasional evening with?
gpt
Well, I am afraid not; they don’t seem quite my style.
human
What about the Bartons? I should have thought that one or both of those would have just been about your mark.
gpt
I don’t dislike the elder of the two men, said Fellows,
human
Now you mention him, replied Russell,
gpt
Women are stupid creatures, you’ll say, and jump to all manner of ridiculous conclusions, said Jessie;
human
I don’t think women such stupid creatures; they have a sort of power, which we men do not appear to possess, called intuition, which enables them to form conclusions a great deal more rapidly than the members of the opposite sex; and, what is more to the point, their rapidly formed conclusions are less frequently wrong than are the more laboured ones which we indulge ourselves in delivering, often with a great assumption of authority, more impressive than the argument or its conclusion.
gpt
Wisely spoken, Sir Oracle!