“Then I see that he belongs to the illustrious brotherhood of the insane.”
“You are not far from joining that brotherhood yourself.”
“Dear sister, I am one of the few sane men that go stumbling around this insane asylum let loose we call the earth.”
“What you say about men is the truth, even though you are not an exception. Really, the more I have to do with men, the more convinced I am that any one of them who is not crazy, is stupid or vain or proud.... How much more intelligent, discreet, logical we women are!”
“Don’t tell me. You are marvels; modest, kindly toward your rivals, so little given to humiliating your neighbours, male or female....”
“Yes, yes; but we are not so conceited or such play-actors as you are. A woman may think herself pretty and amiable and sweet, and not be so. That is true; but on the other hand, every man thinks himself braver than the Cid, even if he is afraid of a fly, and more talented than Seneca, even if he is a dolt.”
“To sum up, men are a calamity.”
“Just so.”
“And women spend their lives fishing for these calamities.”
“They need them; there are inferior things which still are necessary.”