continual friendship, and saw how, behind the lies, the need dwelt
pleading. Then she gave, not necessarily what the lies asked for, but
what, in her opinion, pity owed to that which pleaded. She certainly
gave, as a rule, quite too much, in whatever coin she paid. That was
inevitable.

"You give from the emotions," Joseph Leslie told her, "instead of
from reason. How bad for you: how bad for them. And worse when it is
friendship than when it is coin that you can count and set a limit to.
Yes. Abominably bad for everyone concerned."

"Should one," wondered Felicity, "give friendship, as one is supposed to
give money, on C.O.S. principles? Perhaps so; I must think about it."

But her thinking always brought her back to the same conclusion as
before. Consequently her circle of friends grew and grew. She even
included in it a few of the rich and prosperous, not wishing her chain
of fellowship, whose links she kept in careful repair, to fail anywhere.
But it showed strain there. It was forged and flung by the rich and
prosperous, and merely accepted by Felicity.

Leslie, though rich and prosperous, stepped into the linked circle led
by Peter, who was neither. Having money, and a desire to make himself
conscious of the fact by using it, he consulted Miss Hope as to how
best to be philanthropic. He wanted, it seemed, to be a philanthropist as
well as a collector, and felt incapable of being either otherwise than
through agents. His personal share in both enterprises had to be limited
to the backing capital.

Miss Hope said, "Start a settlement," and he had said, "I can't unless