Knowledge house - Oscar Wilde - The Complete Works

[ Exit on terrace with Lord Windermere. Music strikes up in ball-room .]

lady windermere

To stay in this house any longer is impossible. ·66· To-night a man who loves me offered me his whole life. I refused it. It was foolish of me. I will offer him mine now. I will give him mine. I will go to him! [ Puts on cloak and goes to the door, then turns back. Sits down at table and writes a letter, puts it into an envelope, and leaves it on table .] Arthur has never understood me. When he reads this, he will. He may do as he chooses now with his life. I have done with mine as I think best, as I think right. It is he who has broken the bond of marriage—not I. I only break its bondage.

[ Exit .

[ Parker enters L. and crosses towards the ball-room R. Enter Mrs. Erlynne .]

mrs. erlynne

Is Lady Windermere in the ball-room?

parker

Her ladyship has just gone out.

mrs. erlynne

Gone out? She’s not on the terrace?

parker

No, madam. Her ladyship has just gone out of the house.

mrs. erlynne

[ Starts, and looks at the servant with a puzzled expression in her face .] Out of the house?

·67· parker

Yes, madam—her ladyship told me she had left a letter for his lordship on the table.

mrs. erlynne

A letter for Lord Windermere?

parker

Yes, madam.

mrs. erlynne

Thank you.

[ Exit Parker. The music in the ball-room stops .] Gone out of her house! A letter addressed to her husband! [ Goes over to bureau and looks at letter. Takes it up and lays it down again with a shudder of fear .] No, no! It would be impossible! Life doesn’t repeat its tragedies like that! Oh, why does this horrible fancy come across me? Why do I remember now the one moment of my life I most wish to forget? Does life repeat its tragedies? [ Tears letter open and reads it, then sinks down into a chair with a gesture of anguish .] Oh, how terrible! The same words that twenty years ago I wrote to her father! and how bitterly I have been punished for it! No; my punishment, my real punishment is to-night, is now! [ Still seated R .]

[ Enter Lord Windermere L.U.E .

lord windermere

Have you said good-night to my wife? [ Comes C .]

·68· mrs. erlynne

[ Crushing letter in her hand .] Yes.

lord windermere

Where is she?

mrs. erlynne

She is very tired. She has gone to bed. She said she had a headache.

lord windermere

I must go to her. You’ll excuse me?

mrs. erlynne

[ Rising hurriedly .] Oh, no! It’s nothing serious. She’s only very tired, that is all. Besides, there are people still in the supper room. She wants you to make her apologies to them. She said she didn’t wish to be disturbed. [ Drops letter .] She asked me to tell you!

lord windermere

[ Picks up letter .] You have dropped something.

mrs [ E:mrs.] erlynne

Oh yes, thank you, that is mine. [ Puts out her hand to take it .]

lord windermere

[ Still looking at letter .] But it’s my wife’s handwriting, isn’t it?

·69· mrs. erlynne

[ Takes the letter quickly .] Yes, it’s—an address. Will you ask them to call my carriage, please?

lord windermere

Certainly. [ Goes L. and Exit .

mrs. erlynne

Thanks? What can I do? What can I do? I feel a passion awakening within me that I never felt before. What can it mean? The daughter must not be like the mother—that would be terrible. How can I save her? How can I save my child? A moment may ruin a life. Who knows that better than I? Windermere must be got out of the house; that is absolutely necessary. [ Goes L .] But how shall I do it? It must be done somehow. Ah!

[ Enter Lord Augustus R.U.E. carrying bouquet .

lord augustus

Dear lady, I am in such suspense! May I not have an answer to my request?

mrs. erlynne

Lord Augustus, listen to me. You are to take Lord Windermere down to your club at once, and keep him there as long as possible. You understand?

lord augustus

But you said you wished me to keep early hours!

·70· mrs. erlynne

[ Nervously .] Do what I tell you. Do what I tell you.

lord augustus

And my reward?

mrs. erlynne

Your reward? Your reward? Oh! ask me that to-morrow. But don’t let Windermere out of your sight to-night. If you do I will never forgive you. I will never speak to you again. I’ll have nothing to do with you. Remember you are to keep Windermere at your club, and don’t let him come back to-night.

[ Exit L .

lord augustus

Well, really, I might be her husband already. Positively I might. [ Follows her in a bewildered manner .]

Act Drop.

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·73· SCENE—Lord Darlington’s Rooms. A large sofa is in front of fireplace R. At the back of the stage a curtain is drawn across the window. Doors L. and R. Table R. with writing materials. Table C. with syphons, glasses, and Tantalus frame. Table L. with cigar and cigarette box. Lamps lit.

lady windermere

[ Standing by the fireplace .] Why doesn’t he come? This waiting is horrible. He should be here. Why is he not here, to wake by passionate words some fire within me? I am cold—cold as a loveless thing. Arthur must have read my letter by this time. If he cared for me, he would have come after me, would have taken me back by force. But he doesn’t care. He’s entrammelled by this woman—fascinated by her—dominated by her. If a woman wants to hold a man, she has merely to appeal to what is worst in him. We make gods of men and they leave us. Others ·74· make brutes of them and they fawn and are faithful. How hideous life is! … Oh! it was mad of me to come here, horribly mad. And yet, which is the worst, I wonder, to be at the mercy of a man who loves one, or the wife of a man who in one’s own house dishonours one? What woman knows? What woman in the whole world? But will he love me always, this man to whom I am giving my life? What do I bring him? Lips that have lost the note of joy, eyes that are blinded by tears, chill hands and icy heart. I bring him nothing. I must go back—no; I can’t go back, my letter has put me in their power—Arthur would not take me back! That fatal letter! No! Lord Darlington leaves England to-morrow. I will go with him—I have no choice. [ Sits down for a few moments. Then starts up and puts on her cloak .] No, no! I will go back, let Arthur do with me what he pleases. I can’t wait here. It has been madness my coming. I must go at once. As for Lord Darlington—Oh! here he is! What shall I do? What can I say to him? Will he let me go away at all? I have heard that men are brutal, horrible … Oh! [ Hides her face in her hands .]

[ Enter Mrs. Erlynne L .

mrs. erlynne

Lady Windermere! [ Lady Windermere starts and looks up. Then recoils in contempt .] Thank Heaven I am in time. You must go back to your husband’s house immediately.

·75· lady windermere

Must?

mrs. erlynne

[ Authoritatively .] Yes, you must! There is not a second to be lost. Lord Darlington may return at any moment.

lady windermere

Don’t come near me!

mrs. erlynne

Oh! You are on the brink of ruin, you are on the brink of a hideous precipice. You must leave this place at once, my carriage is waiting at the corner of the street. You must come with me and drive straight home.

[ Lady Windermere throws off her cloak and flings it on the sofa .]

What are you doing?

lady windermere

Mrs. Erlynne—if you had not come here, I would have gone back. But now that I see you, I feel that nothing in the whole world would induce me to live under the same roof as Lord Windermere. You fill me with horror. There is something about you that stirs the wildest—rage within me. And I know why you are here. My husband sent you to lure me back that I might serve as a blind to whatever relations exist between you and him.