The soothing of the human race with Sypher's Balm of Gilead mattered nothing to him.

His atrabiliar temperament rendered his attitude towards humanity rather misanthropic than otherwise.

"Indeed," he continued, "I don't see why you shouldn't try for the army contracts without referring specifically to sore feet." "_Caveat emptor_," said Sypher.
"I beg your pardon ?" said Dennymede, who had no Latinity.
"It means, let the buyer beware; it's up to the buyer to see what stuff he's buying." "Naturally.

It's the first principle of business." Sypher turned his swift clear glance on him and banged the window-ledge with his hand.
"It's the first principle of damned knavery and thieving," he cried, "and if I thought anyone ran my business on it, they'd go out of my employ at once! It's at the root of all the corruption that exists in modern trade.
It salves the conscience of the psalm-singing grocer who puts ground beans into his coffee.

It's a damnable principle." He thumped the window-ledge again, very angry.