MISS PRISM. [Quite crushed.] Victoria. The Brighton line.

[Sinks into a chair.]



JACK. I must retire to my room for a moment. Gwendolen, wait here

for me.



GWENDOLEN. If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all

my life. [Exit JACK in great excitement.]



CHASUBLE. What do you think this means, Lady Bracknell?

LADY BRACKNELL. I dare not even suspect, Dr. Chasuble. I need



hardly tell you that in families of high position strange

coincidences are not supposed to occur. They are hardly considered



the thing.

[Noises heard overhead as if some one was throwing trunks about.



Every one looks up.]

CECILY. Uncle Jack seems strangely agitated.



CHASUBLE. Your guardian has a very emotional nature.

LADY BRACKNELL. This noise is extremelyunpleasant. It sounds as



if he was having an argument. I dislikearguments of any kind.

They are always vulgar, and often convincing.



CHASUBLE. [Looking up.] It has stopped now. [The noise is

redoubled.]



LADY BRACKNELL. I wish he would arrive at some conclusion.

GWENDOLEN. This suspense is terrible. I hope it will last.



[Enter JACK with a hand-bag of black leather in his hand.]

JACK. [Rushing over to MISS PRISM.] Is this the handbag, Miss



Prism? Examine it carefully before you speak. The happiness of

more than one life depends on your answer.



MISS PRISM. [Calmly.] It seems to be mine. Yes, here is the

injury it received through the upsetting of a Gower Street omnibus



in younger and happier days. Here is the stain on the lining

caused by the explosion of a temperancebeverage, an incident that



occurred at Leamington. And here, on the lock, are my initials. I

had forgotten that in an extravagant mood I had had them placed



there. The bag is undoubtedly mine. I am delighted to have it so

unexpectedly restored to me. It has been a great inconvenience



being without it all these years.

JACK. [In a pathetic voice.] Miss Prism, more is restored to you



than this hand-bag. I was the baby you placed in it.

MISS PRISM. [Amazed.] You?



JACK. [Embracing her.] Yes . . . mother!

MISS PRISM. [Recoiling in indignant astonishment.] Mr. Worthing!



I am unmarried

JACK. Unmarried! I do not deny that is a serious blow. But after



all, who has the right to cast a stone against one who has

suffered? Cannot repentance wipe out an act of folly? Why should



there be one law for men, and another for women? Mother, I forgive

you. [Tries to embrace her again.]



MISS PRISM. [Still more indignant.] Mr. Worthing, there is some

error. [Pointing to LADY BRACKNELL.] There is the lady who can



tell you who you really are.

JACK. [After a pause.] Lady Bracknell, I hate to seem



inquisitive, but would you kindly inform me who I am?

LADY BRACKNELL. I am afraid that the news I have to give you will



not altogether please you. You are the son of my poor sister, Mrs.

Moncrieff, and consequently Algernon's elder brother.



JACK. Algy's elder brother! Then I have a brother after all. I

knew I had a brother! I always said I had a brother! Cecily, -



how could you have ever doubted that I had a brother? [Seizes hold

of ALGERNON.] Dr. Chasuble, my unfortunate brother. Miss Prism,



my unfortunate brother. Gwendolen, my unfortunate brother. Algy,

you young scoundrel, you will have to treat me with more respect in



the future. You have never behaved to me like a brother in all

your life.



ALGERNON. Well, not till to-day, old boy, I admit. I did my best,

however, though I was out of practice.



[Shakes hands.]

GWENDOLEN. [To JACK.] My own! But what own are you? What is



your Christian name, now that you have become some one else?

JACK. Good heavens! . . . I had quite forgotten that point. Your



decision on the subject of my name is irrevocable, I suppose?

GWENDOLEN. I never change, except in my affections.



CECILY. What a noble nature you have, Gwendolen!

JACK. Then the question had better be cleared up at once. Aunt



Augusta, a moment. At the time when Miss Prism left me in the

hand-bag, had I been christened already?

• accurate [´ækjurət] a.准确的；精密的 (初中英语单词)


• attractive [ə´træktiv] a.有吸引力；诱人的 (初中英语单词)


• instance [´instəns] n.例子，实例，例证 (初中英语单词)


• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)


• punctual [´pʌŋktjuəl] a.准时的；精确的 (初中英语单词)


• nephew [´nevju:, ´nɛfju] n.侄子；外甥 (初中英语单词)


• alliance [ə´laiəns] n.联盟；同盟 (初中英语单词)


• expose [ik´spəuz] vt.揭露，暴露；陈列 (初中英语单词)


• comment [´kɔment] n.&v.评论；评注；注意 (初中英语单词)


• forbid [fə´bid] vt.禁止，不许，阻止 (初中英语单词)


• female [´fi:meil] a.女(性)的 n.女人 (初中英语单词)


• obviously [´ɔbviəsli] ad.明显地；显而易见地 (初中英语单词)


• severe [si´viə] a.严厉的；苛刻的 (初中英语单词)


• humble [´hʌmbəl] a.谦卑的 vt.贬抑 (初中英语单词)


• horror [´hɔrə] n.恐怖；战栗 (初中英语单词)


• pretend [pri´tend] v.假装；借口；妄求 (初中英语单词)


• anxious [´æŋkʃəs] a.担忧的；渴望的 (初中英语单词)


• shield [ʃi:ld] n.盾牌；防御 v.保护 (初中英语单词)


• charge [tʃɑ:dʒ] v.收费；冲锋 n.费用 (初中英语单词)


• elaborate [i´læbərət, -reit] a.精心设计的 (初中英语单词)


• midnight [´midnait] n.午夜；漆黑 (初中英语单词)


• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)


• remote [ri´məut] a.遥远的；偏僻的 (初中英语单词)


• mental [´mentl] a.精神的；心理的 (初中英语单词)


• forgive [fə´giv] vt.原谅，谅解，宽恕 (初中英语单词)


• knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)


• retire [ri´taiə] v.撤退；退职；退休 (初中英语单词)


• suspect [´sʌspekt, sə´spekt] v.怀疑；觉得 n.嫌疑犯 (初中英语单词)


• supposed [sə´pəuzd] a.想象的；假定的 (初中英语单词)


• overhead [´əuvə,hed] ad.当头 a.在头上的 (初中英语单词)


• strangely [´streindʒli] ad.奇怪地；陌生地 (初中英语单词)


• emotional [i´məuʃənəl] a.易动感情的；情感的 (初中英语单词)


• extremely [ik´stri:mli] ad.极端地；非常地 (初中英语单词)


• argument [´ɑ:gjumənt] n.辩论；争论；论证 (初中英语单词)


• dislike [dis´laik] vt.&n.不喜爱，厌恶 (初中英语单词)


• incident [´insidənt] n.小事件；事变 (初中英语单词)


• undoubtedly [ʌn´dautidli] ad.无疑地，确实地 (初中英语单词)


• embrace [im´breis] vt.&n.拥抱；采纳；信奉 (初中英语单词)


• altogether [,ɔ:ltə´geðə] ad.完全；总而言之 (初中英语单词)


• unfortunate [ʌn´fɔ:tʃunit] a.不幸的，运气差的 (初中英语单词)


• gladly [´glædli] ad.愉快地，高兴地 (高中英语单词)


• passionate [´pæʃənit] a.易动情的；易怒的 (高中英语单词)


• destiny [´destini] n.命运 (高中英语单词)


• learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的，博学的 (高中英语单词)


• detain [di´tein] vt.留住；拘留 (高中英语单词)


• manuscript [´mænjuskript] a.手抄的 n.手稿 (高中英语单词)


• fiction [´fikʃən] n.小说；虚构；谎言 (高中英语单词)


• guardian [´gɑ:diən] n.监护人；保护人 (高中英语单词)


• unpleasant [ʌn´plezənt] a.不愉快的；不合意的 (高中英语单词)


• explosion [ik´spləuʒən] n.爆炸；爆发；发作 (高中英语单词)


• extravagant [ik´strævəgənt] a.奢侈的；过度的 (高中英语单词)


• consequently [´kɔnsikwəntli] ad.因此，所以 (高中英语单词)


• alteration [,ɔ:ltə´reiʃən] n.改变，变更 (英语四级单词)


• instinctively [in´stiŋktivli] ad.本能地 (英语四级单词)


• drawing [´drɔ:iŋ] n.画图；制图；图样 (英语四级单词)


• grotesque [grəu´tesk] a.奇异的，想象中的 (英语四级单词)


• savour [´seivə] n.味道；风味 v.尝到 (英语四级单词)


• desirous [di´zaiərəs] a.渴望的；想往的 (英语四级单词)


• judicial [dʒu:´diʃəl] a.法庭(官)的，审判的 (英语四级单词)


• metropolitan [,metrə´pɔlitən] a.大城市的 n.大城市人 (英语四级单词)


• vulgar [´vʌlgə] a.粗俗的；大众的 (英语四级单词)


• temperance [´tempərəns] n.节制；节欲；戒酒 (英语四级单词)


• beverage [´bevəridʒ] n.饮料 (英语四级单词)


• delighted [di´laitid] a.高兴的；喜欢的 (英语四级单词)


• pathetic [pə´θetik] a.可怜的；悲哀的 (英语四级单词)


• indignant [in´dignənt] a.义愤的，愤慨的 (英语四级单词)


• legally [´li:gəli] ad.合法地 (英语六级单词)


• cultivated [´kʌltiveitid] a.在耕作的；有教养的 (英语六级单词)


• governess [´gʌvənis] n.女家庭教师 (英语六级单词)


• consternation [,kɔnstə´neiʃən] n.惊愕；惊恐；惊慌失措 (英语六级单词)


• involuntary [in´vɔləntəri] a.无意识的；非自愿的 (英语六级单词)


• unoccupied [ʌn´ɔkjupaid] a.空闲的，没人住的 (英语六级单词)


• suspense [sə´spens] n.悬挂；悬虑不安 (英语六级单词)


• repentance [ri´pentəns] n.悔悟，悔改；忏悔 (英语六级单词)


• scoundrel [´skaundrəl] n.&a.无赖(的) (英语六级单词)