"Certainly. A philosopher on a desert island may amuse himself by
meditating on the distinction between light and heat. But if, on
returning to the world, he publish the result of his meditations,
vanity steps in and desires to be applauded."

"Nonsense, Cousin Mivers, he may rather desire to be of use and
benefit to mankind. You don't deny that there is such a thing as
philanthropy."

"I don't deny that there is such a thing as humbug. And whenever I
meet a man who has the face to tell me that he is taking a great deal
of trouble, and putting himself very much out of his way, for a
philanthropical object, without the slightest idea of reward either in
praise or pence, I know that I have a humbug before me,--a dangerous
humbug, a swindling humbug, a fellow with his pocket full of villanous
prospectuses and appeals to subscribers."

"Pooh, pooh; leave off that affectation of cynicism: you are not a
bad-hearted fellow; you must love mankind; you must have an interest
in the welfare of posterity."

"Love mankind? Interest in posterity? Bless my soul, Cousin Peter, I
hope you have no prospectuses in /your/ pockets; no schemes for
draining the Pontine Marshes out of pure love to mankind; no
propositions for doubling the income-tax, as a reserve fund for
posterity, should our coal-fields fail three thousand years hence.
Love of mankind! Rubbish! This comes of living in the country."

"But you do love the human race; you do care for the generations that