MRS. CLANDON (stopping him). I am not blaming you, Mr. Valentine. It is Gloria's business to take care of herself; and you have a right to amuse yourself as you please. But-- VALENTINE (protesting). Amuse myself! Oh, Mrs. Clandon! MRS. CLANDON (relentlessly). On your honor, Mr. Valentine, are you in earnest? VALENTINE (desperately). On my honor I am in earnest. (She looks searchingly at him. His sense of humor gets the better of him; and he adds quaintly) Only, I always have been in earnest; and yet--here I am, you see! MRS. CLANDON. This is just what I suspected. (Severely.) Mr. Valentine: you are one of those men who play with women's affections. VALENTINE. Well, why not, if the Cause of Humanity is the only thing worth being serious about? However, I understand. (Rising and taking his hat with formal politeness.) You wish me to discontinue my visits. MRS. CLANDON. No: I am sensible enough to be well aware that Gloria's best chance of escape from you now is to become better acquainted with you. VALENTINE (unaffectedly alarmed). Oh, don't say that, Mrs. Clandon. You don't think that, do you? MRS. CLANDON. I have great faith, Mr. Valentine, in the sound training Gloria's mind has had since she was a child. VALENTINE (amazingly relieved). O-oh! Oh, that's all right. (He sits down again and throws his hat flippantly aside with the air of a man who has no longer anything to fear.) MRS. CLANDON (indignant at his assurance). What do you mean? VALENTINE (turning confidentially to her). Come: shall I teach you something, Mrs. Clandon? MRS. CLANDON (stiffly). I am always willing to learn. VALENTINE. Have you ever studied the subject of gunnery--artillery--cannons and war-ships and so on? MRS. CLANDON. Has gunnery anything to do with Gloria? VALENTINE. A great deal--by way of illustration. During this whole century, my dear Mrs. Clandon, the progress of artillery has been a duel between the maker of cannons and the maker of armor plates to keep the cannon balls out. You build a ship proof against the best gun known: somebody makes a better gun and sinks your ship. You build a heavier ship, proof against that gun: somebody makes a heavier gun and sinks you again. And so on. Well, the duel of sex is just like that. MRS. CLANDON. The duel of sex! VALENTINE. Yes: you've heard of the duel of sex, haven't you? Oh, I forgot: you've been in Madeira: the expression has come up since your time. Need I explain it? MRS. CLANDON (contemptuously). No.