Mostpeopleinthisworldseemtolive“incharacter“；theyhaveabeginning，amiddleandanend，andthethreearecongruousonewithanotherandtruetotherulesoftheirtype。Youcanspeakofthemasbeingofthissortofpeopleorthat。Theyare，astheatricalpeoplesay，nomoreandnolessthan“characteractors。”Theyhaveaclass，theyhaveaplace，theyknowwhatisbecominginthemandwhatisduetothem，andtheirpropersizeoftombstonetellsatlasthowproperlytheyhaveplayedthepart。Butthereisalsoanotherkindoflifethatisnotsomuchlivingasamiscellaneoustastingoflife。Onegetshitbysomeunusualtransverseforce，oneisjerkedoutofone’sstratumandlivescrosswisefortherestofthetime，and，asitwere，inasuccessionofsamples。Thathasbeenmylot，andthatiswhathassetmeatlastwritingsomethinginthenatureofanovel。I

　　havegotanunusualseriesofimpressionsthatIwantveryurgentlytotell。Ihaveseenlifeatverydifferentlevels，andatalltheselevelsIhaveseenitwithasortofintimacyandingoodfaith。Ihavebeenanativeinmanysocialcountries。I

　　havebeentheunwelcomeguestofaworkingbaker，mycousin，whohassincediedintheChathaminfirmary；Ihaveeatenillegalsnacks——theunjustifiablegiftsoffootmen——inpantries，andbeendespisedformywantofstyleandsubsequentlymarriedanddivorcedbythedaughterofagasworksclerk；and——togotomyotherextreme——Iwasonce——oh，glitteringdays！——aniteminthehouse-partyofacountess。Shewas，Iadmit，acountesswithafinancialaspect，butstill，youknow，acountess。I’veseenthesepeopleatvariousangles。Atthedinner-tableI’vemetnotsimplythetitledbutthegreat。Ononeoccasion——itismybrightestmemory——Iupsetmychampagneoverthetrousersofthegreateststatesmanintheempire——HeavenforbidIshouldbesoinvidiousastonamehim！——inthewarmthofourmutualadmiration。

　　AndoncethoughitisthemostincidentalthinginmylifeI

　　murderedaman。

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