John Galsworthy

“ Loyalty to the chief he had insulted by taking such an attitude, dislike of being thought a fool, beyond all, the dread of “swanking,” kept him silent. When asked why he had left Conglomerated Journals, he returned the answer always, “Disagreement on a matter of principle,” and refused to enter into details. But a feeling had got about that he was a bit of a crank; for though no one else at Conglomerated Journals knew exactly why he had vanished, Counter had spread the news that he had blasted Georgie Grebe, and refused to write his article. Some one else had done it, and been glad of the job. ”

“ Inefficient deviling still hurt one who had deviled long and efficiently without a qualm. When the article which had not been written by Sir Cutman Kane appeared—he swore aloud. It was muck, no more like the one Sir Cutman would have signed if Taggart had written it, than the boots of Taggart were like the boots of the chief, who seemed to wear a fresh pair every day, with cloth tops. He read the chief’s new leaders with melancholy, spotting the innumerable deficiencies of style supplied to the chief by whoever it was now wrote them. ”

“ Well, The Lighthouse would get a good deal out of Georgie Grebe’s name, just as Conglomerated Journals got a good deal out of the chief’s name below the deviled leaders. Well, was there any harm in making the most of a big name? A frown came between Taggart’s brows. Suppose a man went into a shop and bought a box of pills marked “Holloway” and they had been made up from a recipe of Tompkins—did it matter that the man thought they were Holloway’s, supposing they were just as good pills, perhaps better? Taggart laid down his pen and took his pipe out of his mouth ”