The Confidence-Man Cunning and Cleverness Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter, Paragraph)

Quote #10

But, injured as he was, and patient under it, too, somehow his case excited as little compassion as his oratory now did enthusiasm. Still, pathetic to the last, he continued his appeals, notwithstanding the frigid regard of the company, till, suddenly interrupting himself, as if in reply to a quick summons from without, he said hurriedly, "I come, I come," and so, with every token of precipitate dispatch, out of the cabin the herb-doctor went. (17, 43)

These lines appear at the tail end of a sales event at which the herb-doctor isn't doing so well. While not his shining hour, this moment is hilarious for the herb-doctor's quick-thinking in performing a Shakespearean stage exit. It's not the most cunning moment, but it is a clever twist with a bit of comedy.