Page:Edgar Jepson--the four philanthropists.djvu/88

82 the other, I don't know which, last silly season," said I.

"Surely you're not in earnest, Miss Brand," said Bottiger, appealing to Angel.

"Yes, I am," said Angel firmly. "You see, I've suffered from objectionable people myself, or I shouldn't be here."

"But do you think the kind of annoyances you have had to suffer from are bad enough to justify your helping to remove people?" said Chelubai, thinking doubtless that she spoke of the annoyances which had caused her to run away from her imaginary school.

"Yes, quite," said Angel.

"They are," said I, breaking in. "But this is all beside the question. Philanthropy should be disinterested. We ourselves were actuated solely by our duty to human progress in our recent philanthropic enterprise; and as soon as my sister recovers from her recent experience of objectionable people she will become a disinterested philanthropist, too. We have no right to check the altruistic expansion of her spirit."

"That's very true," said Chelubai gravely, "if Miss Brand feels like that."

"At present I feel as if I were at war with all the world except—except—Roger." She hesitated and flushed a little over my name; and I thought it sounded very nice on her tongue. "But I