"What!" demanded Richling. "O sir, what a foul, false charge! There's nothing mysterious about it. We've trampled the book of Nature's laws in the mire of our streets, and dragged her penalties down upon our heads! Why, Richling,"--he shifted his attitude, and laid the edge of one hand upon the paper that lay in the other, with the air of commencing a demonstration,--"you're a Bible man, eh? Well, yes, I think you are; but I want you never to forget that the book of Nature has its commandments, too; and the man who sins against _them_ is a sinner. There's no dispensation of mercy in that Scripture to Jew or Gentile, though the God of Mercy wrote it with his own finger. A community has got to know those laws and keep them, or take the consequences--and take them here and now--on this globe--_presently_!" "You mean, then," said Richling, extending his hand for the return of the paper, "that those whose negligence filled the asylums should be the ones to subscribe." "Yes," replied the Doctor, "yes!" drew back his hand with the paper still in it, turned to his desk, opened the list, and wrote. Richling's eyes followed the pen; his heart came slowly up into his throat. "Why, Doc--Doctor, that's more than any one else has"-- "They have probably made some mistake," said Dr. Sevier, rubbing the blotting-paper with his finger. "Richling, do you think it's your mission to be a philanthropist?" "Isn't it everybody's mission?" replied Richling. "That's not what I asked you." "But you ask a question," said Richling, smiling down upon the subscription-paper as he folded it, "that nobody would like to answer." "Very well, then, you needn't answer. But, Richling,"--he pointed his long finger to the pocket of Richling's coat, where the subscription-list had disappeared,--"this sort of work--whether you distinctly propose to be a philanthropist or not--is right, of course. It's good. But it's the mere alphabet of beneficence. Richling, whenever philanthropy takes the _guise_ of philanthropy, look out. Confine your philanthropy--you can't do it entirely, but as much as you can--confine your philanthropy to the _motive_. It's the temptation of philanthropists to set aside the natural constitution of society wherever it seems out of order, and substitute some philanthropic machinery in its place. It's all wrong, Richling. Do as a good doctor would. Help nature." Richling looked down askance, pushed his fingers through his hair perplexedly, drew a deep breath, lifted his eyes to the Doctor's again, smiled incredulously, and rubbed his brow. "You don't see it?" asked the physician, in a tone of surprise. "O Doctor,"--throwing up a despairing hand,--"we're miles apart. I don't see how any work could be nobler. It looks to me"-- But Dr. Sevier interrupted. "--From an emotional stand-point, Richling. Richling,"--he changed his attitude again,--"if you _want_ to be a philanthropist, be cold-blooded." Richling laughed outright, but not heartily.