SIR PATRICK. And youll take out of Dubedat’s scale all the faith he has destroyed and the honor he has lost, and youll put into Blenkinsop’s scale all the faith he has justified and the honor he has created.
RIDGEON. Come come, Paddy! none of your claptrap with me: I’m too sceptical for it. I’m not at all convinced that the world wouldnt be a better world if everybody behaved as Dubedat does than it is now that everybody behaves as Blenkinsop does.
SIR PATRICK. Then why dont you behave as Dubedat does?
RIDGEON. Ah, that beats me. Thats the experimental test. Still, it’s a dilemma. It’s a dilemma. You see theres a complication we havnt mentioned.
SIR PATRICK. Whats that?
RIDGEON. Well, if I let Blenkinsop die, at least nobody can say I did it because I wanted to marry his widow.
SIR PATRICK. Eh? Whats that?
RIDGEON. Now if I let Dubedat die, I’ll marry his widow.
SIR PATRICK. Perhaps she wont have you, you know.
RIDGEON [with a self-assured shake of the head] I’ve a pretty good flair for that sort of thing. I know when a woman is interested in me. She is.