“The chance which now seems lost may present itself at the last moment.”

“Was he being devoured by one of those secret rages, all the more terrible because contained, and which only burst forth, with irresistible force, at the last moment?”

“Conseil: If that is the case, this dugong may well be the last of its race, and perhaps it would be better to spare it, in the interest of science.Ned Land: Perhaps it will be better to hunt it, in the interest of the kitchen.”

“He who is mistaken in an action which he sincerely believes to be right may be an enemy, but retains our esteem.”

“When I returned to partial life my face was wet with tears. How long that state of insensibility had lasted I cannot say. I had no means now of taking account of time. Never was solitude equal to this, never had any living being been so utterly forsaken.”

“Besides," said Kennedy, "the time when industry gets a grip of everything and uses it to its own advantage may not be particularly amusing. If men go on inventing machinery they'll end up by being swallowed by their own machines. I've always thought that the last day will be brought about by some colossal boiler heated to three thousand atmospheres blowing up the world.""And I bet the Yankees will have had a hand in it," said Joe.”

“Reality provides us with facts so romantic that imagination itself could add nothing to them.”