Monomania, more or less harmless, is a not infrequent affliction of very high intelligences, and a quite unreasoning hatred of war was his, although within the last few days he had come to suspect disquieting misgivings on the subject, possibly in consequence of the higher knowledge to which he was attaining.
"My dear sir," replied Merrill quite good-humouredly, and not at all sorry for the diversion, "I am glad to say that I agree with you also.
No man who has not actually fought can have any just idea of the appalling abominations of war, and I am sure that no men hate it more devotedly than those who have to fight.

But we have to take the world as it is, and not as we would like it to be; and as long as we have people in it who want to set it on fire for their own brutally selfish purposes, we shall have to keep the fire-extinguishers in good order." In obedience to an appealing glance from his daughter, the Professor did not reply.

His opponent in the bloodless arena of Science saved him by interrupting: "Yes, sir.

I differ from my friend Marmion on a good many points, and that's one of them.

You have the honour to serve in the biggest fire-extinguishing institution on earth.