And now I take the liberty;--for it is a liberty--" "Oh no." "Because I feel so anxious that you should do nothing to mar your chances as a rising man." "You are only too kind to me,--always." "I know how clever you are, and how excellent are all your instincts; but I see that you are a little impetuous.

I wonder whether you will be angry if I take upon myself the task of mentor." "Nothing you could say would make me angry,--though you might make me very unhappy." "I will not do that if I can help it.

A mentor ought to be very old, you know, and I am infinitely older than you are." "I should have thought it was the reverse;--indeed, I may say that I know that it is," said Phineas.
"I am not talking of years.

Years have very little to do with the comparative ages of men and women.

A woman at forty is quite old, whereas a man at forty is young." Phineas, remembering that he had put down Mr.Kennedy's age as forty in his own mind, frowned when he heard this, and walked about the room in displeasure.