I know that from books; you know it of course from actual dealings with the men who find their way to responsible places, and who very often fail to accomplish the things we expect of them." "The aims of most of the reformers are futile from the beginning.
Legislatures can pass laws; they pass far too many; but they can't make ideal conditions out of those laws.

I've seen it tried." "Yesterday, when you were able to make that convention do exactly what you wanted it to, without even being there to watch it, it must have been because of some ideal you were working for.

You thought you were serving some good purpose; it wasn't just spite or to show your power.
It couldn't have been that!" "I did it," he said doggedly, as though to destroy with a single blunt thrust her tower of illusions--"I did it to smash a man named Thatcher.
There wasn't any ideal nonsense about it." He frowned, surprised and displeased that he had spoken so roughly.

He rarely let go of himself in that fashion.

He expected her to take advantage of his admission to point a moral; but she said instantly:-- "Then, you did it beautifully! There was a certain perfection about it; it was, oh, immensely funny!" She laughed, tossing her head lightly, a laugh of real enjoyment, and he was surprised to find himself laughing with her.