of pure laziness, selfishness and vanity on our own part: I say
_laziness_, because, instead of making inquiries ourselves, and
exercising an active care, we prefer to trust others; _selfishness_,
because we are led to confide in people by the pressure of our own
affairs; and _vanity_, when we ask confidence for a matter on which we
rather pride ourselves. And yet, for all that, we expect people to be
true to the trust we repose in them.
But we ought not to become angry if people put no trust in us: because
that really means that they pay honesty the sincere compliment of
regarding it as a very rare thing,--so rare, indeed, as to leave us in
doubt whether its existence is not merely fabulous.