He is an astonishing master of facts, and I suppose he never read a book yet, from a Blue Book to a volume of verse, without catching the author in error about something.

He reads books for that purpose.

As a rule I avoided argument with him, because he was disappointed if I was right and stormed if I was wrong.

It was therefore a dangerous thing to begin on politics, but I thought the circumstances warranted it.

To my surprise he answered me in a rambling manner, occasionally breaking off in the middle of a sentence and seeming to listen for something.