“You were wonderful. You should be the writer, you know.” “Nope. Never. Couldn’t.” “Why not?” “Not a bad enough fellow. Insufficiently aggressive. Insufficiently ruthless. Insufficiently capricious, venomous, childish, et cetera. My scruples.” “But maybe you’re not as nice as you look either.” “I’m afraid I am. It’s grotesque. I’m English. I’m even nicer.”
