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Young Irony
Who?I’mtoobrightformostmen,andyetIhavetodescendtotheirlevelandletthempatronizemyintellectinordertogettheirattention.EveryyearthatIdon’tmarryI’vegotlesschanceforafirst-classman.AtthebestIcanhavemychoicefromoneortwocitiesand,ofcourse,Ihavetomarryintoadinner-coat.
"Listen,"sheleanedcloseagain,"Ilikeclevermenandgood-lookingmen,and,ofcourse,noonecaresmoreforpersonalitythanIdo.Oh,justonepersoninfiftyhasanyglimmerofwhatsexis.I’mhippedonFreudandallthat,butit’srottenthateverybitofrealloveintheworldisninety-ninepercentpassionandonelittlesoupconofjealousy."Shefinishedassuddenlyasshebegan.
"Ofcourse,you’reright,"Amoryagreed."It’saratherunpleasantoverpoweringforcethat’spartofthemachineryundereverything.It’slikeanactorthatletsyouseehismechanics!WaitaminutetillIthinkthisout...."
Hepausedandtriedtogetametaphor.Theyhadturnedthecliffandwereridingalongtheroadaboutfiftyfeettotheleft.
"Youseeeveryone’sgottohavesomecloaktothrowaroundit.Themediocreintellects,Plato’ssecondclass,usetheremnantsofromanticchivalrydilutedwithVictoriansentiment—andwewhoconsiderourselvestheintellectualscoveritupbypretendingthatit’sanothersideofus,hasnothingtodowithourshiningbrains;wepretendthatthefactthatwerealizeitisreallyabsolvingusfrombeingapreytoit.
