hm...

well, to petition hopelessly for a loan ?" "Yes, it has.

But what do you mean by hopelessly ?" "Hopelessly in the fullest sense, when you know beforehand that you will get nothing by it.

You know, for instance, beforehand with positive certainty that this man, this most reputable and exemplary citizen, will on no consideration give you money; and indeed I ask you why should he?
For he knows of course that I shan't pay it back.

From compassion?
But Mr.Lebeziatnikov who keeps up with modern ideas explained the other day that compassion is forbidden nowadays by science itself, and that that's what is done now in England, where there is political economy.