Sentence:  ‘I have to tell you,' he continued with his leaden and yet fascinating sincerity, ‘that you are a most exquisite and intelligent woman and I would like to court you. I′m no seducer or casual fornicator. It′s against my religion. If all this sounds <WSD>mad as a cut snake</WSD>, so be it. I was under necessity to say it. Would you accept my card?' 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Crazy; eccentric.