LORD AUGUSTUS: Good evening, Lady Windermere.
DUCHESS OF BERWICK: Sir James, will you take me into the ballroom? Augustus has been dining with us to-night. I really have had quite enough of dear Augustus for the moment.
SIR JAMES ROYSTON gives the DUCHESS his arm and escorts her into the ballroom.
PARKER: Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Bowden. Lord and Lady Paisley. Lord Darlington.
These people enter as announced.
LORD AUGUSTUS (coming up to LORD WINDERMERE): Want to speak to you particularly, dear boy. I’m worn to a shadow. Know I don’t look it. None of us men do look what we really are. Demmed good thing, too. What I want to know is this. Who is she? Where does she come from? Why hasn’t she got any demmed relations! Demmed nuisance, relations! But they make one so demmed respectable.
LORD WINDERMERE: You are talking of Mrs. Erlynne, I suppose? I only met her six months ago. Till then, I never knew of her existence.
LORD AUGUSTUS: You have seen a good deal of her since then.
LORD WINDERMERE (coldly): Yes, I have seen a good deal of her since then. I have just seen her.
LORD AUGUSTUS: Egad! The women are very down on her. I have been dining with Arabella this evening! By Jove! You should have heard what she said about Mrs. Erlynne. She didn’t leave a rag on her … (Aside.) Berwick and I told her that didn’t matter much, as the lady in question must have an extremely fine figure. You should have seen Arabella’s expression … But, look here, dear boy. I don’t know what to do about Mrs. Erlynne. Egad! I might be married to her; she treats me with such demmed indifference. She’s deuced clever, too! She explains everything. Egad! She explains you. She has got any amount of explanations for you – and all of them different.
LORD WINDERMERE: No explanations are necessary about my friendship with Mrs. Erlynne.
LORD AUGUSTUS: Hem! Well, look here, dear old fellow. Do you think she will ever get into this demmed thing called Society? Would you introduce her to your wife? No use beating about the confounded bush. Would you do that?
LORD WINDERMERE: Mrs. Erlynne is coming here to-night.
LORD AUGUSTUS: Your wife has sent her a card?
LORD WINDERMERE: Mrs. Erlynne has received a card.
LORD AUGUSTUS: Then she’s all right, dear boy. But why didn’t you tell me that before? It would have saved me a heap of worry and demmed misunderstandings!
LADY AGATHA and MR. HOPPER cross and exit on terrace L.U.E.
PARKER: Mr. Cecil Graham!
Enter MR. CECIL GRAHAM.
CECIL GRAHAM (bows to LADY WINDERMERE, passes over and shakes hands with LORD WINDERMERE): Good evening, Arthur. Why don’t you ask me how I am? I like people to ask me how I am. It shows a wide-spread interest in my health. Now, to-night I am not at all well. Been dining with my people. Wonder why it is one’s people are always so tedious? My father would talk morality after dinner. I told him he was old enough to know better. But my experience is that as soon as people are old enough to know better, they don’t know anything at all. Hullo, Tuppy! Hear you’re going to be married again; thought you were tired of that game.
LORD AUGUSTUS: You’re excessively trivial, my dear boy, excessively trivial!
CECIL GRAHAM: By the way, Tuppy, which is it? Have you been twice married and once divorced, or twice divorced and once married? I say you’ve been twice divorced and once married. It seems so much more probable.
LORD AUGUSTUS: I have a very bad memory. I really don’t remember which. (Moves away R.)
LADY PLYMDALE: Lord Windermere, I’ve something most particular to ask you.
LORD WINDERMERE: I am afraid – if you will excuse me – I must join my wife.
LADY PLYMDALE: Oh, you mustn’t dream of such a thing. It’s most dangerous nowadays for a husband to pay any attention to his wife in public. It always makes people think that he beats her when they’re alone. The world has grown so suspicious of anything that looks like a happy married life. But I’ll tell you what it is at supper. (Moves towards door of ballroom.)
LORD WINDERMERE (C.): Margaret! I must speak to you.
LADY WINDERMERE: Will you hold my fan for me, Lord Darlington? Thanks. (Comes down to him.)
LORD WINDERMERE (crossing to her): Margaret, what you said before dinner was, of course, impossible?
LADY WINDERMERE: That woman is not coming here to-night.
LORD WINDERMERE (R.C.): Mrs. Erlynne is coming here, and if you in any way annoy or wound her, you will bring shame and sorrow on us both. Remember that! Ah, Margaret, only trust me! A wife should trust her husband!
LADY WINDERMERE (C.): London is full of women who trust their husbands. One can always recognise them. They look so thoroughly unhappy. I am not going to be one of them (Moves up.) Lord Darlington, will you give me back my fan, please? Thanks … A useful thing a fan, isn’t it? … I want a friend to-night, Lord Darlington; I didn’t know I would want one so soon.
LORD DARLINGTON: Lady Windermere! I knew the time would come some day; but why to-night?
LORD WINDERMERE: I will tell her. I must. It would be terrible if there were any scene. Margaret …
PARKER: Mrs. Erlynne!
LORD WINDERMERE starts. MRS. ERLYNNE enters, very beautifully dressed and very dignified. LADY WINDERMERE clutches at her fan, then lets it drop on the floor. She bows coldly to MRS. ERLYNNE, who bows to her sweetly in turn, and sails into the room.
LORD DARLINGTON: You have dropped your fan, Lady Windermere. (Picks it up and hands it to her.)
MRS. ERLYNNE (C): How do you do, again, Lord Windermere? How charming your sweet wife looks! Quite a picture!
LORD WINDERMERE (in a low voice): It was terribly rash of you to come!
MRS. ERLYNNE (smiling): The wisest thing I ever did in my life. And, by the way, you must pay me a good deal of attention this evening. I am afraid of the women. You must introduce me to some of them. The men I can always manage. How do you do, Lord Augustus? You have quite neglected me lately. I have not seen you since yesterday. I am afraid you’re faithless. Every one told me so.
LORD AUGUSTUS (R.): Now really, Mrs. Erlynne, allow me to explain.
MRS. ERLYNNE (R.C.): No, dear Lord Augustus, you can’t explain anything. It is your chief charm.
LORD AUGUSTUS: Ah! If you find charms in me, Mrs. Erlynne –
They converse together. LORD WINDERMERE moves uneasily about the room watching MRS. ERLYNNE.
LORD DARLINGTON (to LADY WINDERMERE): How pale you are!
LADY WINDERMERE: Cowards are always pale!
LORD DARLINGTON: You look faint. Come out on the terrace.
LADY WINDERMERE: Yes. (To PARKER): Parker, send my cloak out.
MRS. ERLYNNE (crossing to her): Lady Windermere, how beautifully your terrace is illuminated. Reminds me of Prince Doria’s at Rome.
LADY WINDERMERE bows coldly, and goes off with LORD DARLINGTON.
Oh, how do you do, Mr. Graham? Isn’t that your aunt, Lady Jedburgh? I should so much like to know her.
CECIL GRAHAM (after a moment’s hesitation and embarrassment): Oh, certainly, if you wish it. Aunt Caroline, allow me to introduce Mrs. Erlynne.
MRS. ERLYNNE: So pleased to meet you, Lady