"No, for you've got a fair competence. No one has a right to more,
so long as the many suffer need."

"Certain people have money in the bank themselves," said Master
Andres allusively.

"No, that's all over," answered the old man cheerfully. "I'm
now exactly as rich as you."

"The devil! Have you run through the lot?" The young master turned
round on his chair.

"You and your 'run through it all'! You always sit over me like
a judge and accuse me of things! I'm not conscious of having done
anything wrong; but it's true that the need gets worse every winter.
It's a burden to have money, Andres, when men are hungry all about
you; and if you help them then you learn afterward that you've done
the man injury; they say it themselves, so it must be true. But now
I've given the money to the Charity Organization Society, so now it
will go to the right people."

"Five thousand kroner!" said the master, musing. "Then there ought
to be great rejoicing among the poor this winter."

"Well, they won't get it direct in food and firing," said
Bjerregrav, "but it will come to them just as well in other ways.
For when I'd made my offer to the Society, Shipowner Monsen--you
know him--came to me, and begged me to lend him the money at one
year. He would have gone bankrupt if he hadn't had it, and it was
terrible to think of all the poor people who would have gone without