Dane turned to the Bible which still lay upon the table, and opened it. 'What do you say to this, Prudentia?'
' "When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee." '
'Then you will live alone, I suppose, and make Hazel live so.'
'Not at all,' said Rollo coolly; 'that does not follow. The words I was reading go on"But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." '
'But my dear Dane!' said Mrs. Coles breathlessly; 'you don't mean to say that you take all that literally?'
'I do not see how it is to be taken figuratively,' said Dane looking at it.
'Why it means, of course, that we are to be kind to the poor.'
'But kinder to the rich? That looks like turning the figure topsy turvy; and in that case you get a view which can hardly be called correct.'
Hazel had left the tea-table now, and come softly up, taking a low seat half behind Prim's chair, leaning her head against it. In the shadow there she was looking and listening.
'It is a choice of invitations, that is all,' said Dr. Arthur. 'The Lord returns all the civilities shewn to poor peopleand rich men return their own. That is the only difference.'