Hilaire Belloc

“ Professor Higginson heard the door slam behind him: His curiosity prompted him to gaze upon them out of a window. They were going off together through the rain, into the heart of the town, and it seemed to the Philosopher that the Parson was more animated than before. He turned to his companion continually, and his gestures were broad. More fame was brewing!
All that Friday afternoon he kept his room. He forbade Mrs. Randle to admit a soul. He went to bed early and slept ill. The wages of sin is death.
Professor Higginson came down next morning in a very miserable mood. ”

“ Professor Higginson had never in his life been rude to a man at the first meeting. He did not know how it was done.
"Yes," he said ... "after a fashion.
"Ah!" said the Reverend Charles, and they went on another fifty yards in silence through the rain. The streets were quite deserted.
Professor Higginson was appalled to find his companion's hand laid firmly upon his shoulder; the other hand held the umbrella above. The parson looked immensely into his eyes. ”

“ But I knew one, Babcock," and here Higginson's voice fell (as his trick had grown to be during these recitals) to a deeper tone. "Do you know who it was? ... It was poor Morris!"
Babcock rose again and came and stood over the wretched Philosopher. The Philosopher looked up like a child, an erring child.
"Good Heavens!" sighed Babcock. "What extraordinary ideas you have! That 's not what people notice. Why, men can do that in their sleep." Then with sudden vigour, "What else did you see, Higginson? ”

“ Like all the rest of the world. Professor Higginson read The Howl at breakfast. The Howl is very well edited; it gives you your thrill in a short compass, and every day has some new Portent to present. ”

“ Professor Higginson, who holds the Chair of Subliminal Psychology in the University, is in the possession, through a recent experience, of undoubted proofs of the existence of the soul of beings of human origin in a state of consciousness of other than terrestrial conditions. ”

“ So powerful was the effect upon him, that he was half persuaded of some connection between his foolish lie and doubtful superhuman powers. He didn't like it. It gave him a sense of possession. It left him not his own master. ”

“ The features are unrecognisable, but there can be no doubt of Count Michaelis's identity. The corpse was clothed in the blue-serge yachting suit which the Count habitually wore on these expeditions, and the body was that of a man without arms. In the opinion of Dr. Relebecque, whom the Government has dispatched to Karamel, the disaster must have taken place about four days ago, and most probably during the gale of last Monday night.
The corpse was dressed in blue. It was drowned. It had no arms—a sort of monster.
Professor Higginson was unhappy, very unhappy indeed. He also felt sick. ”

“ I have."
"I——" began Professor Higginson, but Babcock interrupted.
"Now, I knew a fellow once in Italy, not like you, my dear Higginson, not half so honest a man, but he had got hold of what convinces people. ... It 's not what's true, it 's what convinces." ”