But that’s always the way; it don’t make no difference whether you do right or wrong, a person’s conscience ain’t got no sense, and just goes for him anyway. If I had a yaller dog that didn’t know no more than a person’s conscience does, I would pison him. It takes up more room than all the rest of a person’s insides, and yet ain’t no good, nohow.
– Mark Twain
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Chapter 33. After the King and Duke are captured, tarred and feathered by the town, Huck feels guilty but doesn’t know why. Huck’s battle with his conscience is one of the central conflicts of the novel.