My uncle, Mr. Stephen Maple, had been at the same time the most successful and the least respectable of our family, so that we hardly knew whether to take credit for his wealth or to feel ashamed of his position.

Keep your revolver near you night and day, and never relax your precautions.

As a rule, the more bizarre a thing is, the less mysterious it proves to be.

There was a brisk northern wind, heavy and wet with the salt of the sea, and he felt, as he turned his face to it, fresh life and strength surging in his blood and bracing his limbs.

When such men, who are beyond hope and fear, begin in their dim minds to see the source their woes, it may be an evil time for those who have wronged them. The weak man becomes strong when he has nothing, for then only can he feel the wild, mad thrill of despair.

There is nothing more stimulating than a case where everything goes against you.

To underestimate oneself is as much an exaggeration of one's powers than the other.