knowledge and preparedness and--oh, with all the things that make
their position in life a more responsible one than--than the people's
down here."

"Was it necessary to come to Scarborough Square to watch--your
parade? One can stand off anywhere."

"But I don't want just to stand off. I want to see with the eyes of
the people who look at us, the people who don't approve of us, though
they envy us. We're so certain they're a hard lot to deal with, to
do for, to make anything of--these people we don't know save from
charity contact, perhaps,--that I've sometimes wondered if they ever
despair of us, think we, too, are pretty hopeless and hard to--to
wake up."

"And you imagine the opinions and conclusions of uneducated,
untrained, unthinking people will give you light concerning the
valuation of your class? It matters little what they think. They
don't think!"

"Do you know many of these people of whose mental machinery you are
so sure?" I smiled in the eyes which would not smile into mine.
"Know them personally, I mean?"

"I do not." Selwyn's tone was irritable. "My business dealings with
them have not inspired desire for a closer acquaintance. To get as
much money as possible from the men who employ them and give in
return as little work as they can, is the creed of most of them. You
can do nothing with people like that. I know them better than you
will ever know them."