o
near a man? Come, now!

ATHENE. Because I fell in love.

BUILDER. Love leads to marriage--and to nothing else, but the streets.
What an example to your sister!

ATHENE. You don't know Maud any more than you knew me. She's got a will
of her own too, I can tell you.

BUILDER. Now, look here, Athene. It's always been my way to face
accomplished facts. What's done can't be undone; but it can be remedied.
You must marry this young----at once, before it gets out. He's behaved
like a ruffian: but, by your own confession, you've behaved worse.
You've been bitten by this modern disease, this--this, utter lack of
common decency. There's an eternal order in certain things, and marriage
is one of them; in fact, it's the chief. Come, now. Give me a promise,
and I'll try my utmost to forget the whole thing.

ATHENE. When we quarrelled, father, you said you didn't care what became
of me.

BUILDER. I was angry.

ATHENE. So you are now.

BUILDER. Come, Athene, don't be childish! Promise me!

ATHENE. [With a little shudder] No! We were on the edge of it. But now
I've seen you again--Poor mother!

BUILDER. [Very angry] This is simply blasphemous. What do you mean by
harping on your mother? If you think that--that--she doesn't--that she
isn't--

ATHENE. Now, father!

BUILDER. I'm damned if I'll sit down under this injustice. Your mother
is--is pretty irritating, I can tell you. She--she--Everything
suppressed. And--and no--blood in her!

ATHENE. I knew it!

BUILDER. [Aware that he has confirmed some thought in her that he had no
intention of confirming] What's that?

ATHENE. Don't you ever look at your own face, father? When you shave,
for instance.

BUILDER. Of course I do.

ATHENE. It isn't satisfied, is it?

BUILDER. I don't know what on earth you mean.

ATHENE. You can't help it, but you'd be ever so much happier if you were
a Mohammedan, and two or three, instead of one, had--had learned to know
when you were in the right.

BUILDER. 'Pon my soul! This is outrageous!

ATHENE. Truth often is.

BUILDER. Will you be quiet?

ATHENE. I don't ever want to feel sorry for Guy in that way.

BUILDER. I think you're the most immodest--I'm ashamed that you're my
daughter. If your another had ever carried on as you are now--

ATHENE. Would you have been firm with her?

BUILDER. [Really sick at heart at this unwonted mockery which meets him
at every turn] Be quiet