Lady Windermere’s Fan

before I leave town⁠—someone who has been kind to me. Lord Windermere Rising and leaning over sofa. Kind to you? Lady Windermere Far more than that. Rises and goes to him. I will tell you, Arthur, but only love me, love me as you used to love me. Lord Windermere Used to? You are not thinking of that wretched woman who came here last night? Coming round and sitting R. of her. You don’t still imagine⁠—no, you couldn’t. Lady Windermere I don’t. I know now I was wrong and foolish. Lord Windermere It was very good of you to receive her last night⁠—but you are never to see her again. Lady Windermere Why do you say that? A pause. Lord Windermere Holding her hand. Margaret, I thought Mrs. Erlynne was a woman more sinned against than sinning, as the phrase goes. I thought she wanted to be good, to get back into a place that she had lost by a moment’s folly, to lead again a decent life. I believed what she told me⁠—I was mistaken in her. She is bad⁠—as bad as a woman can be. Lady Windermere Arthur, Arthur, don’t talk so bitterly about any woman. I don’t think now that people can be divided into the good and the bad as though they were two separate races or creations. What are called good women may have terrible things in them, mad moods of recklessness, assertion, jealousy, sin. Bad women, as they are termed, may have in them sorrow, repentance, pity, sacrifice. And I don’t think Mrs. Erlynne a bad woman⁠—I know she’s not. Lord Windermere My dear child, the woman’s impossible. No matter what harm she tries to do us, you must never see her again. She is inadmissible anywhere. Lady Windermere But I want to see her. I want her to come here. Lord Windermere Never! Lady Windermere She came here once as your guest. She must come now as mine. That is but fair. Lord Windermere She should never have come here. Lady Windermere Rising. It is too late, Arthur, to say that now. Moves away. Lord Windermere Rising. Margaret, if you knew where Mrs. Erlynne went last night, after she left this house, you would not sit in the same room with her. It was absolutely shameless, the whole thing. Lady Windermere Arthur, I can’t bear it any longer. I must tell you. Last night⁠— Enter Parker with a tray on which lie Lady Windermere’s fan and a card. Parker Mrs. Erlynne has called to return your ladyship’s fan which she took away by mistake last night. Mrs. Erlynne has written a message on the card. Lady Windermere Oh, ask Mrs. Erlynne to be kind enough to come up. Reads card. Say I shall be very glad to see her. Exit Parker. She wants to see me, Arthur. Lord Windermere Takes card and looks at it. Margaret, I beg you not to. Let me see her first, at any rate. She’s a very dangerous woman. She is the most dangerous woman I know. You don’t realise what you’re doing. Lady Windermere It is right that I should see her. Lord Windermere My child, you may be on the brink of a great sorrow. Don’t go to meet it. It is absolutely necessary that I should see her before you do. Lady Windermere Why should it be necessary? Enter Parker. Parker Mrs. Erlynne. Enter Mrs. Erlynne. Exit Parker. Mrs. Erlynne How do you do, Lady Windermere? To Lord Windermere. How do you do? Do you know, Lady Windermere, I am so sorry about your fan. I can’t imagine how I made such a silly mistake. Most stupid of me. And as I was driving in your direction, I thought I would take the opportunity of returning your property in person with many apologies for my carelessness, and of bidding you goodbye. Lady Windermere Goodbye? Moves towards sofa with Mrs. Erlynne and sits down beside her. Are you going away, then, Mrs. Erlynne? Mrs. Erlynne Yes; I am going to live abroad again. The English climate doesn’t suit me. My⁠—heart is affected here, and that I don’t like. I prefer living in the south. London is too full of fogs and⁠—and serious people, Lord Windermere. Whether the fogs produce the serious people or whether the serious people produce the fogs, I don’t know, but the whole thing rather gets on my nerves, and so I’m leaving this afternoon by the Club Train. Lady Windermere This afternoon? But I wanted so much to come and see you. Mrs. Erlynne How kind of you! But I am afraid I have to go. Lady Windermere Shall I never see you again, Mrs. Erlynne? Mrs. Erlynne I am afraid not. Our lives lie too far apart. But there is a little thing I would like you to do for me. I want a photograph of you, Lady Windermere⁠—would you give me one? You don’t know how gratified I should be. Lady Windermere Oh, with pleasure. There is one on that table. I’ll show it to you. Goes across to the table. Lord Windermere Coming up to Mrs. Erlynne and speaking in a low voice. It is monstrous your intruding yourself here after your conduct last night. Mrs. Erlynne With an amused smile. My dear Windermere, manners before morals! Lady Windermere Returning. I’m afraid it is very flattering⁠—I am not so pretty as that. Showing photograph. Mrs. Erlynne You are much prettier. But haven’t you got one of yourself with your little boy? Lady Windermere I have. Would you prefer one of those? Mrs. Erlynne Yes. Lady Windermere I’ll go and get it for you, if you’ll excuse me for a moment. I have one upstairs. Mrs. Erlynne So sorry, Lady Windermere, to give you so much trouble. Lady Windermere Moves to door R. No trouble at all, Mrs. Erlynne. Mrs. Erlynne Thanks so much. Exit Lady Windermere R. You seem rather out of temper this morning, Windermere. Why should you be? Margaret and I get on charmingly together. Lord