Knowledge house - Oscar Wilde - The Complete Works

lord windermere

A fatal mistake.

·121· mrs. erlynne

[ Smiling .] Almost fatal.

lord windermere

I am sorry now I did not tell my wife the whole thing at once.

mrs. erlynne

I regret my bad actions. You regret your good ones—that is the difference between us.

lord windermere

I don’t trust you. I will tell my wife. It’s better for her to know, and from me. It will cause her infinite pain—it will humiliate her terribly, but it’s right that she should know.

mrs. erlynne

You propose to tell her?

lord windermere

I am going to tell her.

mrs. erlynne

[ Going up to him .] If you do, I will make my name so infamous that it will mar every moment of her life. It will ruin her, and make her wretched. If you dare to tell her, there is no depth of degradation I will not sink to, no pit of shame I will not enter. You shall not tell her—I forbid you.

·122· lord windermere

Why?

mrs. erlynne

[ After a pause .] If I said to you that I cared for her, perhaps loved her even—you would sneer at me, wouldn’t you?

lord windermere

I should feel it was not true. A mother’s love means devotion, unselfishness, sacrifice. What could you know of such things?

mrs. erlynne

You are right. What could I know of such things? Don’t let us talk any more about it—as for telling my daughter who I am, that I do not allow. It is my secret, it is not yours. If I make up my mind to tell her, and I think I will, I shall tell her before I leave the house—if not, I shall never tell her.

lord windermere

[ Angrily .] Then let me beg of you to leave our house at once. I will make your excuses to Margaret.

[ Enter Lady Windermere R. She goes over to Mrs. Erlynne with the photograph in her hand. Lord Windermere moves to back of sofa, and anxiously watches Mrs. Erlynne as the scene progresses .]

·123· lady windermere

I am so sorry, Mrs. Erlynne, to have kept you waiting. I couldn’t find the photograph anywhere. At last I discovered it in my husband’s dressing-room—he had stolen it.

mrs. erlynne

[ Takes the photograph from her and looks at it .] I am not surprised—it is charming. [ Goes over to sofa with Lady Windermere, and sits down beside her. Looks again at the photograph .] And so that is your little boy! What is he called?

lady windermere

Gerard, after my dear father.

mrs. erlynne

[ Laying the photograph down .] Really?

lady windermere

Yes. If it had been a girl, I would have called it after my mother. My mother had the same name as myself, Margaret.

mrs. erlynne

My name is Margaret too.

lady windermere

Indeed!

·124· mrs. erlynne

Yes. [ Pause .] You are devoted to your mother’s memory, Lady Windermere, your husband tells me.

lady windermere

We all have ideals in life. At least we all should have. Mine is my mother.

mrs. erlynne

Ideals are dangerous things. Realities are better. They wound, but they’re better.

lady windermere

[ Shaking her head .] If I lost my ideals, I should lose everything.

mrs. erlynne

Everything?

lady windermere

Yes. [ Pause ]. [ E:[ Pause .]]

mrs. erlynne

Did your father often speak to you of your mother?

lady windermere

No, it gave him too much pain. He told me how my mother had died a few months after I ·125· 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.

mrs. erlynne

[ Rising .] I am afraid I must go now, Lady Windermere.

lady windermere

[ Rising .] Oh no, don’t.

mrs. erlynne

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

lady windermere

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

mrs. erlynne

Pray don’t trouble, Lord Windermere.

lady windermere

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 ·126· you? You saved me last night? [ Goes towards her .]

mrs. erlynne

Hush—don’t speak of it.

lady windermere

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.

mrs. erlynne

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

lady windermere

I owe you everything.

mrs. erlynne

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 ·127· killed! Pledge me your word, Lady Windermere, that you will never tell him. I insist upon it.

lady windermere

[ With bowed head .] It is your will, not mine.

mrs. erlynne

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.

lady windermere

[ 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.

mrs. erlynne

[ With a slight shudder .] Hush, last night is quite over.

[ Enter Lord Windermere .

lord windermere

Your carriage has not come back yet, Mrs. Erlynne.

mrs. erlynne.

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. ·128· [ 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.

lady windermere

Oh, certainly, if it will give you any pleasure. But it has my name on it. It has ‘Margaret’ on it.

mrs. erlynne

But we have the same Christian name.

lady windermere

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

mrs. erlynne

Quite wonderful. Thanks—it will always remind me of you. [ Shakes hands with her .]

[ Enter Parker .

parker

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

[ Enter Lord Augustus .

lord augustus

Good morning, dear boy. Good morning, Lady Windermere. [ Sees Mrs. Erlynne .] Mrs. Erlynne!

·129· mrs. erlynne

How do you do, Lord Augustus? Are you quite well this morning?

lord augustus

[ Coldly .] Quite well, thank you, Mrs. Erlynne.

mrs. erlynne

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.