“It's not the best life in the world, but it's all I know.”

“It's a goodly life that you lead, friends; no doubt the best in the world, if only you are strong enough to lead it!''Yes, it's the life, the only life, to live,' responded the Water Rat dreamily, and without his usual whole-hearted conviction.'I did not exactly say that,' the stranger replied cautiously, 'but no doubt it's the best. I've tried it, and I know. And because I've tried it - six months of it - and know it's the best, here I am, footsore and hungry, tramping away from it, tramping southward, following the old call, back to the old life, the life which is mine and which will not let me go.”

“It's a queer world, God knows, but the best we have to be going on with.”

“Sometimes it's best to take things down and start all over again. It's the way of the world.”

“It's life's illusions that I recall, I really don't know life at all”

“The world was doing its best to ignore the fact that I was a writer.”