The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from The Shadow Line by Joseph Conrad: Mr. Burns, while still acting captain, had
hastened to sign a charter-party which in an ideal
world without guile would have been an excellent
document. Directly I ran my eye over it I fore-
saw trouble ahead unless the people of the other
part were quite exceptionally fair-minded and open
to argument.
Mr. Burns, to whom I imparted my fears, chose
to take great umbrage at them. He looked at me
with that usual incredulous stare, and said bitterly:
"I suppose, sir, you want to make out I've acted
 The Shadow Line |