Many years ago I (to be thrown) by accident among a certain society of Englishmen, who, when they (to be) all together, never (to talk) about anything worth talking about. Their general conversations (to be) absolutely empty and dull, and I (to conclude), as young men so easily (to conclude), that those twenty or thirty gentlemen (to have) not half a dozen ideas among them. A little reflection (to remind) me, however, that my own talk (to be) no better than theirs, and consequently that there (may) be others in the company who also (to know) more and (to think) more than they (to express). I (to find) out by accident, after a while, that some Of these men (to have) more than common culture in various directions: one or two (to travel) far, and (to bring) home the results of much observation; one or two (to read) largely, and with profit; more than one (to study) a science; five or six (to see) a great deal of the world. It (to be) a youthful mistake to conclude the men (to be) dull because their general conversation (to be) very dull. The general conversations of English society (to be) dull; it (to be) a national characteristic.
