Коллекционер

           Theyforgetalltheoldvirtues,whichweren’trealvirtuesanyway.Theythinktheonlyvirtueistomakemoremoneyandtospend.Theycan’timaginethattherearepeopletowhommoneyisnothing.Thatthemostbeautifulthingsarequiteindependentofmoney.

           I’mnotbeingfrank.Istillwantmoney.ButIknowthatit’swrong.IbelieveG.P.—Idon’thavetobelievehimwhenhesaysit,Icanseeit’strue—hehardlyworriesaboutmoneyatall.Hehasjustenoughtobuyhismaterials,tolive,tohaveaworkingholidayeveryyear,tomanage.Andthere’readozenothers—Peter.BillMcDonald.Stefan.Theydon’tliveintheworldofmoney.Iftheyhaveittheyspendit.Iftheydon’ttheygowithout.

           PersonslikeCalibanhavenoheadformoney.They’veonlygottohavealittle,liketheNewPeople,andtheybecomebeastly.Allthehorridpeoplewhowouldn’tgivememoneywhenIwascollecting.Icouldtell,Ionlyhadtolookintheirfaces.Bourgeoispeoplegivebecausethey’reembarrassedifyoupesterthem.Intelligentpeoplegiveoratleasttheylookhonestlyatyouandsayno.They’renotashamednottogive.ButtheNewPeoplearetoomeantogiveandtoosmalltoadmitit.LikethehorridmaninHampstead(hewasoneofthem)whosaid,I’llgiveyouhalfadollarifyoucanproveitdoesn’tgointosomeone’spocket.Hethoughthewasbeingfunny.

           Iturnedmybackonhim,whichwaswrong,becausemypridewaslessimportantthanthechildren.SoIputahalf-crowninforhimlater.