“Put a very clever man next to a genius, his brightness will immediately turn to dullness!”

“Napoleon, the man of genius, did this! But to say that he destroyed his army because he wished to, or because he was very stupid, would be as unjust as to say that he had brought his troops to Moscow because he wished to and because he was very clever and a genius”

“You think you’re a very clever fellow, don’t you?” Saldur challenged.“No, Your Grace,” Merrick replied. “Clever is the man who makes a fortune selling dried-up cows, explaining how it saves the farmers the trouble of getting up every morning to milk them. I’m not clever—I’m a genius.”

“It's a wicked world, and when a clever man turns his brain to crime it is the worst of all.”

“When you hear a word, think about it, no matter how dull it sounds! Because on the second thought, it may sound very clever!”

“But don't worry; as I've been saying - and this has been very clever of me, I'm sure you'll agree - if you put enough pressure on coal, it'll turn to pearls!”