It may be only a half-truth, quarter-truth, tenth-truth; but then he says more than he means--from sheer force of meaning it." She was looking at him from under level brows; her face was grave and open, and there had fallen upon it the shadow of that unreasoning responsibility which is at the bottom of the most frivolous woman, the maternal watch which is as old as the world.
"Is he really an anarchist, then ?" she asked.
"Only in that sense I speak of," replied Syme; "or if you prefer it, in that nonsense." She drew her broad brows together and said abruptly-- "He wouldn't really use--bombs or that sort of thing ?" Syme broke into a great laugh, that seemed too large for his slight and somewhat dandified figure.
"Good Lord, no!" he said, "that has to be done anonymously." And at that the corners of her own mouth broke into a smile, and she thought with a simultaneous pleasure of Gregory's absurdity and of his safety.
Syme strolled with her to a seat in the corner of the garden, and continued to pour out his opinions.

For he was a sincere man, and in spite of his superficial airs and graces, at root a humble one.

And it is always the humble man who talks too much; the proud man watches himself too closely.

He defended respectability with violence and exaggeration.

He grew passionate in his praise of tidiness and propriety.