Lady Windermere’s Fan

a thousand loves, you must stay with your child. If he was harsh to you, you must stay with your child. If he ill-treated you, you must stay with your child. If he abandoned you, your place is with your child. Lady Windermere bursts into tears and buries her face in her hands. Rushing to her. Lady Windermere! Lady Windermere Holding out her hands to her, helplessly, as a child might do. Take me home. Take me home. Mrs. Erlynne Is about to embrace her. Then restrains herself. There is a look of wonderful joy in her face. Come! Where is your cloak? Getting it from sofa. Here. Put it on. Come at once! They go to the door. Lady Windermere Stop! Don’t you hear voices? Mrs. Erlynne No, no! There was no one! Lady Windermere Yes, there is! Listen! Oh! that is my husband’s voice! He is coming in! Save me! Oh, it’s some plot! You have sent for him. Voices outside. Mrs. Erlynne Silence! I’m here to save you, if I can. But I fear it is too late! There! Points to the curtain across the window. The first chance you have, slip out, if you ever get a chance! Lady Windermere But you? Mrs. Erlynne Oh! never mind me. I’ll face them. Lady Windermere hides herself behind the curtain. Lord Augustus Outside. Nonsense, dear Windermere, you must not leave me! Mrs. Erlynne Lord Augustus! Then it is I who am lost! Hesitates for a moment, then looks round and sees door R., and exits through it. Enter Lord Darlington, Mr. Dumby, Lord Windermere, Lord Augustus Lorton, and Mr. Cecil Graham. Dumby What a nuisance their turning us out of the club at this hour! It’s only two o’clock. Sinks into a chair. The lively part of the evening is only just beginning. Yawns and closes his eyes. Lord Windermere It is very good of you, Lord Darlington, allowing Augustus to force our company on you, but I’m afraid I can’t stay long. Lord Darlington Really! I am so sorry! You’ll take a cigar, won’t you? Lord Windermere Thanks! Sits down. Lord Augustus To Lord Windermere. My dear boy, you must not dream of going. I have a great deal to talk to you about, of demmed importance, too. Sits down with him at L. table. Cecil Graham Oh! We all know what that is! Tuppy can’t talk about anything but Mrs. Erlynne. Lord Windermere Well, that is no business of yours, is it, Cecil? Cecil Graham None! That is why it interests me. My own business always bores me to death. I prefer other people’s. Lord Darlington Have something to drink, you fellows. Cecil, you’ll have a whisky and soda? Cecil Graham Thanks. Goes to table with Lord Darlington. Mrs. Erlynne looked very handsome tonight, didn’t she? Lord Darlington I am not one of her admirers. Cecil Graham I usen’t to be, but I am now. Why! she actually made me introduce her to poor dear Aunt Caroline. I believe she is going to lunch there. Lord Darlington In Purple. No? Cecil Graham She is, really. Lord Darlington Excuse me, you fellows. I’m going away tomorrow. And I have to write a few letters. Goes to writing table and sits down. Dumby Clever woman, Mrs. Erlynne. Cecil Graham Hallo, Dumby! I thought you were asleep. Dumby I am, I usually am! Lord Augustus A very clever woman. Knows perfectly well what a demmed fool I am⁠—knows it as well as I do myself. Cecil Graham comes towards him laughing. Ah, you may laugh, my boy, but it is a great thing to come across a woman who thoroughly understands one. Dumby It is an awfully dangerous thing. They always end by marrying one. Cecil Graham But I thought, Tuppy, you were never going to see her again! Yes! you told me so yesterday evening at the club. You said you’d heard⁠— Whispering to him. Lord Augustus Oh, she’s explained that. Cecil Graham And the Wiesbaden affair? Lord Augustus She’s explained that too. Dumby And her income, Tuppy? Has she explained that? Lord Augustus In a very serious voice. She’s going to explain that tomorrow. Cecil Graham goes back to C. table. Dumby Awfully commercial, women nowadays. Our grandmothers threw their caps over the mills, of course, but, by Jove, their granddaughters only throw their caps over mills that can raise the wind for them. Lord Augustus You want to make her out a wicked woman. She is not! Cecil Graham Oh! Wicked women bother one. Good women bore one. That is the only difference between them. Lord Augustus Puffing a cigar. Mrs. Erlynne has a future before her. Dumby Mrs. Erlynne has a past before her. Lord Augustus I prefer women with a past. They’re always so demmed amusing to talk to. Cecil Graham Well, you’ll have lots of topics of conversation with her, Tuppy. Rising and going to him. Lord Augustus You’re getting annoying, dear-boy; you’re getting demmed annoying. Cecil Graham Puts his hands on his shoulders. Now, Tuppy, you’ve lost your figure and you’ve lost your character. Don’t lose your temper; you have only got one. Lord Augustus My dear boy, if I wasn’t the most good-natured man in London⁠— Cecil Graham We’d treat you with more respect, wouldn’t we, Tuppy? Strolls away. Dumby The youth of the present day are quite monstrous. They have absolutely no respect for dyed hair. Lord Augustus looks round angrily. Cecil Graham Mrs. Erlynne has a very great respect for dear Tuppy. Dumby Then Mrs. Erlynne sets an admirable example to the rest of her sex. It is perfectly brutal the way most women nowadays behave to men who are not their husbands. Lord Windermere Dumby, you are ridiculous, and Cecil, you let your tongue run away with you. You must leave Mrs. Erlynne alone. You don’t really know anything about her, and you’re always talking scandal against her. Cecil Graham Coming towards him L.C. My dear Arthur, I never talk scandal. I only talk gossip. Lord Windermere What is the difference between scandal