Sentence:  “I don't mean all of your friends—only a small proportion—which, however, connects your <WSD>circle</WSD> with that deadly, idle, brainless bunch—the insolent chatterers at the opera, the gorged dowagers,nb..., the jewelled animals whose moral code is the code of the barnyard—!" 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A specific group of persons; especially one who shares a common interest.