Now he associated with grooms, he began to see society from _their_ point of view, and recognised how feebly it was held together by brute force, intrigue, cord and axe, and woman's flattery.
But a push seemed needed to overthrow it.

Yet it was quite secure, nevertheless, as there was none to give that push, and if any such plot had been formed, those very slaves who suffered the most would have been the very men to give information, and to torture the plotters.
Felix had never dreamed that common and illiterate men, such as these grooms and retainers, could have any conception of reasons of State, or the crafty designs of courts.

He now found that, though they could neither writer nor read, they had learned the art of reading man (the worst and lowest side of character) to such perfection that they at once detected the motive.

They read the face; the very gait and gesture gave them a clue.

They read man, in fact, as an animal.