Quotation from: A Set of Six

Written by: Joseph Conrad

"And I'll tell you what," he continued: "if I were certain he's an
anarchist and he had the cheek to ask me for money, I would give him
the toe of my boot. However, let him have the benefit of the doubt. I
am perfectly willing to take it that he has done nothing worse than
to stick a knife into somebody--with extenuating circumstances--French
fashion, don't you know. But that subversive sanguinary rot of doing
away with all law and order in the world makes my blood boil. It's
simply cutting the ground from under the feet of every decent,
respectable, hard-working person. I tell you that the consciences of
people who have them, like you or I, must be protected in some way; or
else the first low scoundrel that came along would in every respect be
just as good as myself. Wouldn't he, now? And that's absurd!"