"they urged each other to righteous indignation in a matter for which they did not really care two straws." George Gissing, Demos, 1886.

I thought I'd used this as a placeholder for this killer quote. It will be useful for posting on The Guardian comments next time someone posts about the Lib-Dems' change of mind on tuition fees. Or I could use it in the Politics and Life section of the cycling forum I post on.

George Gissing's books often feel like homework, but I have to credit him for original plots. This book is about a Socialist firebrand who inherits a lot of money and starts to compromise his principles.