“It is a matter of life and death for us; for the lead we gain by day on ships and railways is lost each night.”

“But certainly, for us who understand life, figures are a matter of indifference.”

“I wonder,” he said, “whether the stars are set alight in heaven so that one day each one of us may find his own again...”

“The strong are strengthened by reverses; the trouble is that the true meaning of events scores next to nothing in the match we play with men. Appearances decide our gains or losses and the points are trumpery. And a mere semblance of defeat may hopelessly checkmate us.”

“At a glance I can distinguish China from Arizona. If one gets lost in the night, such knowledge is valuable.”

“But, of course, for those of us who understand life, we would not care less about figures.”

“Night, the beloved. Night, when words fade and things come alive. When the destructive analysis of day is done, and all that is truly important becomes whole and sound again. When man reassembles his fragmentary self and grows with the calm of a tree.”