Taking the blow like a man, he beamed upon his critic.

"Exactly, my boy; don't you think I'll ever ask you to come down to clowning.

You might work with me for years and I'd never ask you to do a thing that wasn't serious.

In fact, that's why I'm hoping to engage you now.

I want to do a serious picture, I want to get out of all that slap-stick stuff, see?
Something fine and worth while, like you say.