The Importance of Being Earnest (12 page)

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
.
(Shaking her head.)
If I lost my ideals, I should lose everything.

M
RS
. E
RLYNNE
. Everything?

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
. Yes.
(Pause.)

M
RS
. E
RLYNNE
. Did your father often speak to you of your mother?

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
. No, it gave him too much pain. He told me how my mother had died a few months after I was born. His eyes filled with tears as he spoke. Then he begged me never to mention her name to him again. It made him suffer even to hear it. My father—my father really died of a broken heart. His was the most ruined life I know.

M
RS
. E
RLYNNE
.
(Rising.)
I am afraid I must go now, Lady Windermere.

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
.
(Rising.)
Oh no, don’t.

M
RS
. E
RLYNNE
. I think I had better. My carriage must have come back by this time. I sent it to Lady Jedburgh’s with a note.

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
. Arthur, would you mind seeing if Mrs. Erlynne’s carriage has come back?

M
RS
. E
RLYNNE
. Pray don’t trouble, Lord Windermere.

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
. Yes, Arthur, do go, please.

(Lord Windermere hesitates for a moment and looks at Mrs. Erlynne. She remains quite impassive. He leaves the room.)

(To Mrs. Erlynne.)
Oh! What am I to say to you? You saved me last night?
(Goes towards her.)

M
RS
. E
RLYNNE
. Hush—don’t speak of it.

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
. I must speak of it. I can’t let you think that I am going to accept this sacrifice. I am not. It is too great. I am going to tell my husband everything. It is my duty.

M
RS
. E
RLYNNE
. It is not your duty—at least you have duties to others besides him. You say you owe me something?

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
. I owe you everything.

M
RS
. E
RLYNNE
. Then pay your debt by silence. That is the only way in which it can be paid. Don’t spoil the one good thing I have done in my life by telling it to any one. Promise me that what passed last night will remain a secret between us. You must not bring misery into your husband’s life. Why spoil his love? You must not spoil it. Love is easily killed. Oh! how easily love is killed! Pledge me your word, Lady Windermere, that you will
never
tell him. I insist upon it.

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
.
(With bowed head.)
It is your will, not mine.

M
RS
. E
RLYNNE
. Yes, it is my will. And never forget your child—I like to think of you as a mother. I like you to think of yourself as one.

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
.
(Looking up.)
I always will now. Only once in my life I have forgotten my own mother—that was last night. Oh, if I had remembered her I should not have been so foolish, so wicked.

M
RS
. E
RLYNNE
.
(With a slight shudder.)
Hush, last night is quite over.
(Enter Lord Windermere.)

L
ORD
W
INDERMERE
. You carriage has not come back yet, Mrs. Erlynne.

M
RS
. E
RLYNNE
. It makes no matter. I’ll take a hansom. There is nothing in the world so respectable as a good shrewsbury and Talbot. And now, dear Lady Windermere, I am afraid it is really good-bye.
(Moves up C.)
Oh, I remember. You’ll think me absurd, but do you know I’ve taken a great fancy to this fan that I was silly enough to run away with last night from your ball. Now, I wonder would you give it to me? Lord Windermere says you may. I know it is his present.

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
. Oh, certainly, if it will give you any pleasure.

But it has my name on it. It has ‘Margaret’ on it.

M
RS
. E
RLYNNE
. But we have the same Christian name.

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
. Oh, I forgot. Of course, do have it. What a wonderful chance our names being the same!

M
RS
. E
RLYNNE
. Quite wonderful. Thanks—it will always remind me of you.
(Shakes hands with her.)

(Enter Parker.)

P
ARKER
. Lord Augustus Lorton. Mrs. Erlynne’s carriage has come.

(Enter Lord Augustus.)

L
ORD
A
UGUSTUS
. Good morning, dear boy. Good morning, Lady Windermere.
(Sees Mrs. Erlynne.)
Mrs. Erlynne!

M
RS
. E
RLYNNE
. How do you do, Lord Augustus? Are you quite well this morning?

L
ORD
A
UGUSTUS
.
(Coldly.)
Quite well, thank you, Mrs. Erlynne.

M
RS
. E
RLYNNE
. You don’t look at all well, Lord Augustus. You stop up too late—it is so bad for you. You really should take more care of yourself. Good-bye, Lord Windermere.
(Goes towards door with a bow to Lord Augustus. Suddenly smiles and looks back at him.)
Lord Augustus! Won’t you see me to my carriage? You might carry the fan.

L
ORD
W
INDERMERE
. Allow me!

M
RS
. E
RLYNNE
. No; I want Lord Augustus. I have a special message for the dear Duchess. Won’t you carry the fan, Lord Augustus?

L
ORD
A
UGUSTUS
. If you really desire it, Mrs. Erlynne.

M
RS
. E
RLYNNE
.
(Laughing.)
Of course I do. You’ll carry it so gracefully. You would carry off anything gracefully, dear Lord Augustus.

(When she reaches the door she looks back fora moment Lady Windermere. Their eyes meet. Then she turns, and exit C. followed by Lord Augustus.)

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
. You will never speak against Mrs. Erlynne again, Arthur, will you?

L
ORD
W
INDERMERE
.
(Gravely.)
She is better than one thought her.

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
. She is better than I am.

L
ORD
W
INDERMERE
.
(Smiling as he strokes her hair.)
Child, you and she belong to different worlds. Into your world evil has never entered.

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
. Don’t say that, Arthur. There is the same world for all of us, and good and evil, sin and innocence, go through it hand in hand. To shut one’s eyes to half of life that one may live securely is as though one blinded oneself that one might walk with more safety in a land of pit and precipice.

L
ORD
W
INDERMERE
.
(Moves down with her.)
Darling, why do you say that?

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
.
(Sits on sofa.)
Because I, who had shut my eyes to life, came to the brink. And one who had separated us—–

L
ORD
W
INDERMERE
. We were never separated.

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
. We never must be again. Oh Arthur, don’t love me less, and I will trust you more. I will trust you absolutely. Let us go to Selby. In the Rose Garden at Selby the roses are white and red.

(Enter Lord Augustus C.)

L
ORD
A
UGUSTUS
. Arthur, she has explained everything!

(Lady Windermere looks horribly frightened at this. Lord Windermere starts
.
LORD AUGUSTUS
takes Windermere by the arm and brings him to front of stage. He talks rapidly and in a low voice. Lady Windermere stands watching them in terror.)

My dear fellow, she has explained every demmed thing. We all wronged her immensely. It was entirely for my sake she went to Darlington’s rooms. Called first at the Club—fact is, wanted to put me out of suspense—and being told I had gone on—followed—naturally frightened when she heard a lot of us coming in—retired to another room—I assure you, most gratifying to me, the whole thing. We all behaved brutally to her. She is just the woman for me. Suits me down to the ground. All the conditions she makes are that we live entirely out of England. A very good thing, too. Demmed clubs, demmed climate, demmed cooks, demmed everything. Sick of it all!

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
.
(Frightened.)
Has Mrs. Erlynne——?

L
ORD
A
UGUSTUS
.
(Advancing towards her with a low bow.)
Yes, Lady

W
INDERMERE
—Mrs. Erlynne has done me the honour of accepting my hand.

L
ORD
W
INDERMERE
. Well, you are certainly marrying a very clever woman!

L
ADY
W
INDERMERE
.
(Taking her husband’s hand.)
Ah, you’re marrying a very good woman!

CURTAIN

T
O
F
RANK
H
ARRIS
A
SLIGHT TRIBUTE TO
HIS POWER AND DISTINCTION
AS AN
A
RTIST
HIS CHIVALRY AND NOBILITY
AS A
F
RIEND