Page:Tales in Political Economy by Millicent Garrett Fawcett.djvu/33

 things in return as you would if the first lot had not been spoiled." "According to you then, Davies," said the captain, "the best thing for all of us would be to pitch half of what we are able to scrape together into the fire. Collins would not have found any difficulty in disposing of all the fish he caught to-day. The only effect of your carelessness is, that everybody will have to pay twice over for their supper to-night, and consequently they will be less able to pay for their dinners to-morrow than they would otherwise have been. For instance, the carpenter has been at work all day making clothes'-pegs for Mrs. Collins; he has made two dozen; for one dozen he had bought his share of the fish you have spoiled; now he will have to give the other dozen with which he would have been able to buy his dinner to-morrow. So burning the fish has reduced his power of buying what he wants by the value of what he gave for his supper; and what is true of him is true of everybody who had bought a share in the food you spoiled. He is no better off now than he would have been if he had only