you have shown yourself finer than any maid-servant tonight?

JULIE [Crushed]. That is right, strike me, trample on me, I deserve
nothing better. I have done wrong, but help me now. Help me out of
this if there is any possible way.

JEAN [Softens somewhat]. I don't care to shirk my share of the
blame, but do you think any one of my position would ever have
dared to raise his eyes to you if you yourself had not invited it?
Even now I am astonished--

JULIE. And proud.

JEAN. Why not? Although I must confess that the conquest was too
easy to be exciting.

JULIE. Go on, strike me again--

JEAN [Rising]. No, forgive me, rather, for what I said. I do not
strike the unarmed, least of all, a woman. But I can't deny that
from a certain point of view it gives me satisfaction to know that
it is the glitter of brass, not gold, that dazzles us from below,
and that the eagle's back is grey like the rest of him. On the
other hand, I'm sorry to have to realize that all that I have
looked up to is not worth while, and it pains me to see you fallen
lower than your cook as it pains me to see autumn blossoms whipped
to pieces by the cold rain and transformed into--dirt!

JULIE. You speak as though you were already my superior.