The place was so ridiculously serious! There might conceivedly be interests in the world worthy of so abject an absorption, so bleaching an obeisance of the individual; but Henry, with the dews of certain classics still upon him, remembered that anything really Olympian in its importance is always strong enough to smile.

It is a lesser strength that must make the muscular effort of severity.

True dignities, as often as possible, stand at ease.

But here indeed were no true strengths and dignities,--only prison-strengths and prison-dignities.

Here the majesties, the occupations, the offences, were alike frivolities, fantastically changed about into solemnities.
That first impression of abject bowed heads and chains rattled beneath desks, was roughly correct.