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!
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.

LORD WINDERMERE. Allow me!
MRS. ERLYNNE. No; I want Lord Augustus. I have a special message

for the dear Duchess. Won't you carry the fan, Lord Augustus?
LORD AUGUSTUS. If you really desire it, Mrs. Erlynne.

MRS. ERLYNNE. [Laughing.] Of course I do. You'll carry it so
gracefully. You would carry off anything gracefully, dear Lord

Augustus.
[When she reaches the door she looks back for a moment at LADY

WINDERMERE. Their eyes meet. Then she turns, and exit C. followed
by LORD AUGUSTUS.]

LADY WINDERMERE. You will never speak against Mrs. Erlynne again,
Arthur, will you?

LORD WINDERMERE. [Gravely.] She is better than one thought her.
LADY WINDERMERE. She is better than I am.

LORD WINDERMERE. [Smiling as he strokes her hair.] Child, you and
she belong to different worlds. Into your world evil has never

entered.
LADY WINDERMERE. Don't say that, Arthur. There is the same world

for all of us, and good and evil, sin and innocence, go through it
hand in hand. To shut one's eyes to half of life that one may live

securely is as though one blinded oneself that one might walk with
more safety in a land of pit and precipice.

LORD WINDERMERE. [Moves down with her.] Darling, why do you say
that?

LADY WINDERMERE. [Sits on sofa.] Because I, who had shut my eyes
to life, came to the brink. And one who had separated us -

LORD WINDERMERE. We were never separated.
LADY WINDERMERE. We never must be again. O Arthur, don't love me

less, and I will trust you more. I will trust you absolutely. Let
us go to Selby. In the Rose Garden at Selby the roses are white

and red.
[Enter LORD AUGUSTUS C.]

LORD AUGUSTUS. Arthur, she has explained everything!
[LADY WINDERMERE looks horribly frightened at this. LORD

WINDERMERE starts. LORD AUGUSTUS takes WINDERMERE by the arm and
brings him to front of stage. He talks rapidly and in a low voice.

LADY WINDERMERE stands watching them in terror.] My dear fellow,
she has explained every demmed thing. We all wronged her

immensely. It was entirely for my sake she went to Darlington's
rooms. Called first at the Club - fact is, wanted to put me out of

suspense - and being told I had gone on - followed - naturally
frightened when she heard a lot of us coming in - retired to

another room - I assure you, most gratifying to me, the whole
thing. We all behaved brutally to her. She is just the woman for

me. Suits me down to the ground. All the conditions she makes are
that we live entirely out of England. A very good thing too.

Demmed clubs, demmed climate, demmed cooks, demmed everything.
Sick of it all!

LADY WINDERMERE. [Frightened.] Has Mrs. Erlynne - ?
LORD AUGUSTUS. [Advancing towards her with a low bow.] Yes, Lady

Windermere - Mrs. Erlynne has done me the honour of accepting my
hand.

LORD WINDERMERE. Well, you are certainly marrying a very clever
woman!

LADY WINDERMERE. [Taking her husband's hand.] Ah, you're marrying
a very good woman!

CURTAIN
End

• remind [ri´maind] vt.提醒；使记(想)起 (初中英语单词)
• carriage [´kæridʒ] n.马车；客车；货运 (初中英语单词)
• darling [´dɑ:liŋ] n.爱人 a.亲爱的 (初中英语单词)
• absolutely [´æbsəlu:tli] ad.绝对地；确实 (初中英语单词)
• climate [´klaimit] n.气候；特殊气候地带 (初中英语单词)
• duchess [´dʌtʃis] n.公爵夫人；女公爵 (高中英语单词)
• innocence [´inəsəns] n.无罪；天真 (高中英语单词)
• gracefully [´greisfuli] ad.优美地，斯文地 (英语四级单词)
• horribly [´hɔrəbli] ad.恐怖地 (英语六级单词)
• retired [ri´taiəd] a.退休的；通职的 (英语六级单词)