He read fiction when he did read, and those weekly papers devoted to sport; troubled his head very little about politics, save when they had to do with a possible German invasion, and was always ready to do any one a good turn.

His brother-officers declared that he was not half a bad sort, which was high praise from the usually reticent service man.

His capacity may be accurately gauged by the fact that he did not possess a single enemy, and that every one spoke well of him.

A mortal who possesses no quality likely to be envied by those around him is certain to belong to the rank and file of humanity.

But these unconsidered units of mankind can always console themselves with the undoubted fact that mediocrity is invariably happy.
Such a man as Random would never set the Thames on fire, and certainly he had no ambition to perform that astounding feat.