DOLLY. Oh, Gloria, don't. It's barbarous.

GLORIA (with quiet scorn). What is the use of being weak? You see
what has happened with this gentleman here, mother. The same thing has
happened to me.

MRS. CLANDON } (all { What do you mean?

DOLLY } together). { Oh, tell us.

PHILIP } { What happened to you?

GLORIA. Oh, nothing of any consequence. (She turns away from them
and goes up to the easy chair at the fireplace, where she sits down,
almost with her back to them. As they wait expectantly, she adds, over
her shoulder, with studied indifference.) On board the steamer the
first officer did me the honor to propose to me.

DOLLY. No, it was to me.

MRS. CLANDON. The first officer! Are you serious, Gloria? What did
you say to him? (correcting herself) Excuse me: I have no right to ask
that.

GLORIA. The answer is pretty obvious. A woman who does not know who
her father was cannot accept such an offer.

MRS. CLANDON. Surely you did not want to accept it?