"You take for granted," she remarked, "that our race is the finest fruit of civilisation.” "Certainly. Don't you?" "It's having a pretty good conce… - George Gissing

"You take for granted," she remarked, "that our race is the finest fruit of civilisation.”

"Certainly. Don't you?"

"It's having a pretty good conceit of ourselves. Is every foreigner who contests it a poor deluded creature? Take the best type of Frenchman, for instance. Is he necessarily fatuous in his criticism of us?"

"Why, of course he is. He doesn't understand us. He doesn't understand the world. He has his place, to be sure, but that isn't in international politics. We are the political people; we are the ultimate rulers. Our language — — "

"There's a quotation from Virgil — — "

"I know. We are very like the Romans. But there are no new races to overthrow us." He began to sketch the future extension of Britannic lordship and influence. Kingdoms were overthrown with a joke, continents were annexed in a boyish phrase; Armageddon transacted itself in sheer lightness of heart. Laughing, he waded through the blood of nations, and in the end seated himself with crossed legs upon the throne of the universe.

"Do you know what it makes me wish?" said Irene, looking wicked.

"That you may live to see it?"

"No. That someone would give us a good licking, for the benefit of our souls." Having spoken it, she was ashamed, and her lip quivered a little."