Manchurian Books

I always say, 'Olivia, nothing _need_ occur to vex one.
It always happens because of pure heedlessness.' Not that I accuse
my own niece of heedlessness in this particular. It was the elevator
boy who was heedless. That is the trouble with life in a great
city. Every breath you draw is always dependent on somebody else's
doing his duty, and when you consider how many people habitually
neglect their duty it is a wonder--I always say that to Olivia--it
is a wonder that anybody is alive to _do_ a duty when it presents
itself. 'Olivia,' I always say, 'nobody needs to die.' And I really
believe that they nearly all do die out of pure heedlessness. Well,
and so this frightful mulatto creature: you know her, I understand?"
Mrs. Hastings leaned back and consulted St. George through her
tortoise-shell glasses, tilting her head high to keep them on her
nose and perpetually putting their gold chain over her ear, which
perpetually pulled out her side-combs.
"I saw her this morning," St. George said. "I went up to the
Reformatory in Westchester, and I spoke with her.


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