Undershaft: you are, as far as I am able to gather, a most infernal old rascal, but you appeal very strongly to my sense of ironic humor. UNDERSHAFT: Professor Cusins: you are a young man after my own heart.ĬUSINS: Mr. Thus, Cusins' frankness wins Undershaft's confidence, and they both enter into a bargain to win Barbara over to their sides: He is rhapsodic about the Army, but as Undershaft knows, not for reasons that Barbara would understand. It marches to fight the devil with trumpet and drum, with music and dancing, it takes poor professor of Greek" and gives him shelter and a drum so he can beat Greek dithyrambs throughout the streets. Undershaft agrees but also points out that Cusins faces the same problem because Barbara will soon find out that Cusins' drum, which he plays for the Army, is "hollow." Now it is Cusins' turn to be open and honest, and he maintains that he enjoys the Army because it is an army of "joy, of love, of courage. While not disagreeing, Cusins points out that Undershaft will have to choose between Barbara and his, Undershaft's, own unique religion - and, he states, Barbara won't tolerate Undershaft's views. Undershaft then explains his own personal religion, which is based on money and gunpowder the traditional values (honor, justice, truth, love, mercy, and so forth) are only "graces and luxuries of a rich, strong, and safe life." Forced to choose between traditional values and "money and gunpowder," Undershaft would always choose the latter because until one has the power brought about by money, one cannot afford the luxury of the other "graces." Undershaft immediately suspects the sincerity of Cusins' attachment, as well as his involvement with the Salvation Army, and with a flourish of the drum sticks, Cusins lets Undershaft know that he is right in his assumptions, but Cusins points out that he is a "collector of religions," and he has found that he can believe them all.
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