" I raised my hand to stop my friend Marlow.
"Do you really believe what you have said ?" I asked, meaning no offence, because with Marlow one never could be sure.
"Only on certain days of the year," said Marlow readily with a malicious smile.

"To-day I have been simply trying to be spacious and I perceive I've managed to hurt your susceptibilities which are consecrated to women.

When you sit alone and silent you are defending in your mind the poor women from attacks which cannot possibly touch them.

I wonder what can touch them?
But to soothe your uneasiness I will point out again that an Irrelevant world would be very amusing, if the women take care to make it as charming as they alone can, by preserving for us certain well- known, well-established, I'll almost say hackneyed, illusions, without which the average male creature cannot get on.

And that condition is very important.