human
I shall appoint several, but they must be all young men; I want the best of their lives.
gpt
If I act, he answered slowly,
human
I should have to act alone. I'm in the early thirties still----
gpt
You would find it more than one man's work.
human
Ah, but I could give the whole of my life to it. I started to interrupt, but he raised his hand.
gpt
And, furthermore, I should allow you to impose no conditions; the money would have to come to me as it came to you, and you would have to let me play ducks and drakes with it as I liked---- He paused to laugh wistfully.
human
You've had admirable opportunities of observing how satisfactorily I arrange my own affairs; but I couldn't undertake the responsibility otherwise. You see, you might try to impose conditions that I didn't like; and then my heart wouldn't be in the work. Or your conditions might become obsolete with the changing state of society, as has happened with every trust that has been in existence for more than a hundred years. But, above all, you know that, if you want to help your fellow-creatures, you must do it at discretion and not by looking at a deed to see if you're allowed to. Do you know the story of Bertrand's fifty-pound note?
gpt
I don't think so.