It is
doubtful whether any one of them could explain to himself whence
this influence came; whether from his self-assured appearance, his
ability to seize and express in general words the dismembered and
indistinct things which are dimly sought and desired by the
majority, or because he always saved his conclusions for the most
appropriate moment. Among any society there are many of this sort
of people: some of them act upon their circle through sophistries;
others through adamant, unalterable stead-fastness of convictions;
a third group with a loud mouth; a fourth, through a malicious
sneer; a fifth, simply by silence, which compels the supposition
of profound thought behind it; a sixth, through a chattering,
outward erudition; others still through a slashing sneer at
everything that is said ... many with the terrible Russian word
YERUNDA: "Fiddlesticks!"--"Fiddlesticks!" they say contemptuously
in reply to the warm, sincere, probably truthful but clumsily put
word. "But why fiddlesticks?" "Because it's twaddle, nonsense,"
answer they, shrugging their shoulders; and it is as though they
did for a man by hitting him with a stone over the head.
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