Joseph Conrad

“ She's more resourceful than one would give her credit for."
"Women often are--" remarked Davidson. The strangeness from which he had suffered, merely because his interlocutor had carried off a girl, wore off as the minutes went by. "There's a lot of unexpectedness about women," he generalized with a didactic aim which seemed to miss its mark; for the next thing Heyst said was:
"This is Mrs. Schomberg's shawl." He touched the stuff hanging over his arm. "An Indian thing, I believe," he added, glancing at his arm sideways.
"It isn't of particular value," said Davidson truthfully. ”

“ Davidson prepared to depart. They were not looking at each other. Suddenly Heyst spoke:
"You understand that this was a case of odious persecution, don't you? I became aware of it and--"
It was a view which the sympathetic Davidson was capable of appreciating.
"I am not surprised to hear it," he said placidly. "Odious enough, I dare say. And you, of course--not being a married man--were free to step in. Ah, well!"
He sat down in the stern-sheets, and already had the steering lines in his hands when Heyst observed abruptly:
"The world is a bad dog. It will bite you if you give it a chance ”

“ "She was engaged in the task of defending her position in life," said Heyst. "It's a very respectable task." ”