"
His lordship spoke feelingly, with heroic endurance indeed; and if
Malcolm should dare give his account of the fracas, he trusted to
the word of a gentleman to outweigh that of a groom.
Not all to whom it may seem incredible that a nobleman should thus
lie, are themselves incapable of doing likewise. Any man may put
himself in training for a liar by doing things he would be ashamed
to have known. The art is easily learned, and to practise it well
is a great advantage to people with designs. Men of ability, indeed,
if they take care not to try hard to speak the truth, will soon
become able to lie as truthfully as any sneak that sells grease
for butter to the poverty of the New Cut.
It is worth remarking to him who can from the lie factual carry
his thought deeper to the lie essential, that all the power of a
lie comes from the truth; it has none in itself. So strong is the
truth that a mere resemblance to it is the source of strength to
its opposite--until it be found that like is not the same.
Florimel had already made considerable progress in the art, but
proficiency in lying does not always develop the power of detecting
it. She knew that her father had on one occasion struck Malcolm,
and that he had taken it with the utmost gentleness, confessing
himself in the wrong.
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