And then you take a bus, it is such a short
distance--and the shops are full of wonderful things at such fabulous
prices, and the carriages and houses are so lovely, and people seem to
be showering money right and left everywhere."
"It is the same in all large cities," he answered, "more or less.
There must always be rich and poor, when a great community are herded
together. As a rule, the extreme poor are a worthless lot."
"There must be some of them, though," she answered, "who deserve to
have a better time. Of course, I have never been outside Tredowen,
where everyone was contented and happy in their way, and it seems
terrible to me just at first. I can't bear to think that everyone
hasn't at least a chance of happiness."
"You are too young," he said, "to bother your head about these things
yet. Wait until you have gathered in a little philosophy with the
years. Then you will understand how helpless you are to alter by ever
so little the existing state of things, and it will trouble you less."
"I," she answered, "may, of course, be helpless, but what about those
people who have huge fortunes, and still do nothing?"
"Why should they?" he answered coldly. "This is a world for individual
effort. No man is strong enough to carry even a single one of his
fellows upon his shoulders. Charity is the most illogical and
pernicious of all weaknesses."
"Now you are laughing at me," she declared.
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