Gratitude is as much an evil to be minimised as revenge is. Justice, our
law and our law courts are for the taming and regulating of revenge.
Current prices and markets and commercial regulations are for the taming
of gratitude and its reduction from a public nuisance to something which
shall at least be tolerable. Revenge and gratitude are correlative
terms. Our system of commerce is a protest against the unbridled licence
of gratitude. Gratitude, in fact, like revenge, is a mistake unless
under certain securities.