Actual life was chaos, but there was something terribly logical in the imagination. It was the imagination that set remorse to dog the feet of sin. It was the imagination that made each crime bear its misshapen brood. In the common world of fact the wicked were not punished, nor the good rewarded. Success was given to the strong, failure thrust upon the weak. That was all.

Summary

This quote argues that in actual life, there is chaos and randomness, where wickedness often goes unpunished and goodness is unrewarded. However, in the realm of imagination, there is a logical order that prevails. Imagination creates a sense of remorse that persists with sinners and makes them face the consequences of their actions. It also attributes misfortune and consequences to every crime committed. In contrast, the world of reality favors the strong by granting them success and condemns the weak to failure, without any inherent justice or fairness.

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