The fool's crime is the crime that is found out and the wise man's crime is the crime that is not found out.

Wilkie Collins
About This Quote

In this quote, the fool is speaking of those who commit crimes and those who don't. The crime that is found out, as the fool says, is the crime that is punished. The crime that is not found out is the crime that saves someone from punishment. An example of the latter would be to take revenge for a wrong done to you by hurting someone else.

People who are punished by doing this are called fools because they do not know when they are in danger. Another example would be if someone stood up for you when you were in trouble or stood up for someone else who was in trouble. These people are called wise men because they know when to stand up for others and when not to stand up for them.

Source: The Woman In White

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