“You are not so wrong in that,” returned the Captain; “I have experienced too much trouble myself in life in matters of that kind.  How difficult it is to prevail on a man to venture boldly on making a sacrifice for an after-advantage!  How hard to get him to desire an end, and not hesitate at the means!  So many people confuse means with ends; they keep hanging over the first, without having the other before their eyes.  Every evil is to be cured at the place where it comes to the surface, and they will not trouble themselves to look for the cause which produces it, or the remote effect which results from it.  This is why it is so difficult to get advice listened to, especially among the many:  they can see clearly enough from day to day, but their scope seldom reaches beyond the morrow; and if it comes to a point where with some general arrangement one person will gain while another will lose, there is no prevailing on them to strike a balance.  Works of public advantage can be carried through only by an uncontrolled absolute authority.”

While they were standing and talking, a man came up and begged of them.  He looked more impudent than really in want, and Edward, who was annoyed at being interrupted, after two or three fruitless attempts to get rid of him by a gentler refusal, spoke sharply to him.  The fellow began to grumble and mutter abusively; he went off with short steps, talking about the right of beggars.  It was all very well to refuse them an alms, but that was no reason why they should be insulted.  A beggar, and everybody else too, was as much under God’s protection as a lord.  It put Edward out of all patience.

The Captain, to pacify him, said, “Let us make use of this as an occasion for extending our rural police arrangements to such cases.  We are bound to give away money, but we do better in not giving it in person, especially at home.  We should be moderate and uniform in everything, in our charities as in all else; too great liberality attracts beggars instead of helping them on their way.  At the same time there is no harm when one is on a journey, or passing through a strange place, in appearing to a poor man in the street in the form of a chance deity of fortune and making him some present which shall surprise him.  The position of the village and of the castle makes it easy for us to put our charities here on a proper footing.  I have thought about it before.  The public-house is at one end of the village, a respectable old couple live at the other.  At each of these places deposit a small sum of money, and let every beggar, not as he comes in, but as he goes out, receive something.  Both houses lie on the roads which lead to the castle, so that any one who goes there can be referred to one or the other.”

“Come,” said Edward, “we will settle that on the spot.  The exact sum can be made up another time.”

They went to the innkeeper, and to the old couple and the thing was done.