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ultra description. Withal he is a character, talks pretty well,
and piques himself on studying people. In the talk I got an-
tagonizing with O�Brien, who is, I believe, radically, inherently,
and inevitably my opposite. And I think both of us feel this.
He is a clever man, is O�Brien. A man of more than Irish
assurance, of indomitable conceit. Radically a selfish man,
whose theory of life commences and ends with self-indulgence.
He never denies himself anything, if he have money or credit, and
always leaves a trail of debt behind him. He would highly resent
not being considered a honorable man; would, indeed, I have no
doubt pay off some of his debts with a flourish if he came into an inheri-
tance of money, but, to me, it�s as clear as noon-day that his
creditors will be swindled. He let Seymour in for it, to the
amount of $50 or so, Seymour endorsing a note and � having
to pay it! He got in arrears with Haney, the landlord of the
tavern where �the Bees� met and � the club, generally, had to
pay it. All sorts of dunning letters used to come for him at
the �Times� Office, and creditors also. He owes bills at hotels �
the Lord knows what and where he doesn�t owe. He used to
get money in advance from Raymond, from the Harper�s &c,
and use up his credit by doing so. They think him a clever,
facile, unreliable man � which he is. He is very generally
disliked. He can�t hold his tongue, and affects an offensive
candor in pronouncing on better men than himself. The bothers
and confidence of his manner generally carries him through, but
his enemies � and he makes an unnecessary number of them �
take out their revenge by quietly hating him, and acting on it.
I know no man who can be more offensive, if he choose. His
manner amounts to insult, in such cases. Withal he is