Do you follow me?"
"Perfectly," Brooks answered. "You did not talk like this to Mr.
Wensome."
"I admit it. He was an ignorant man in whom I felt no interest
whatever, and I did not take the trouble. Besides, I will frankly admit
that I am in no sense of the word a sentimentalist. The distresses of
other people do not interest me particularly. I have been poor myself,
and I never asked for, nor was offered, any sort of help. Consequently
I feel very little responsibility concerning these unfortunate people,
whose cause you have espoused."
"May I revert to your first argument?" Brooks said. "If you saw a man
drowning then, instead of trying to save him you would subscribe towards
a fund to teach people to swim?"
"That is ingenious," Lord Arranmore replied, smiling grimly, "but it
doesn't interest me. If I saw a man drowning I shouldn't think of
interfering unless the loss of that man brought inconvenience or loss to
myself. If it did I should endeavour to save him--not unless. As for
the fund you speak of, I should not think of subscribing to it. It
would not interest me to know that other people were provided with a
safeguard against drowning.
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