Quotation from: The Arrow of Gold

Written by: Joseph Conrad


"Why, at Bing's, the curio-dealer," said the other with an air of
the heaviest possible stupidity. And yet there was something in
these few words which seemed to imply that if Mr. Blunt was looking
for trouble he would certainly get it. "Bing was bowing her out of
his shop, but he was so angry about something that he was quite
rude even to me afterwards. I don't think it's very good for
Madame votre mere to quarrel with Bing. He is a Parisian
personality. He's quite a power in his sphere. All these fellows'
nerves are upset from worry as to what will happen to the Allegre
collection. And no wonder they are nervous. A big art event hangs
on your lips, my dear, great Rita. And by the way, you too ought
to remember that it isn't wise to quarrel with people. What have
you done to that poor Azzolati? Did you really tell him to get out
and never come near you again, or something awful like that? I
don't doubt that he was of use to you or to your king. A man who
gets invitations to shoot with the President at Rambouillet! I saw
him only the other evening; I heard he had been winning immensely
at cards; but he looked perfectly wretched, the poor fellow. He
complained of your conduct--oh, very much! He told me you had been
perfectly brutal with him. He said to me: 'I am no good for
anything, mon cher. The other day at Rambouillet, whenever I had a
hare at the end of my gun I would think of her cruel words and my
eyes would run full of tears. I missed every shot' . . . You are
not fit for diplomatic work, you know, ma chere. You are a mere
child at it. When you want a middle-aged gentleman to do anything
for you, you don't begin by reducing him to tears. I should have
thought any woman would have known that much. A nun would have
known that much. What do you say? Shall I run back to Paris and
make it up for you with Azzolati?"

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