WIN. No, it gave him too much pain. He told me how my mother had died a few months after I 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. ERL. [Rising.] I am afraid I must go now, Lady Windermere. LADY WIN. [Rising.] Oh no, don’t.

 MRS. ERL. 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 WIN. Arthur, would you mind seeing if Mrs. Erlynne’s carriage
has come back?
MRS. ERL. Pray don’t trouble Lord Windermere, Lady Windermere.

LADY WIN. 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 you? You saved me
 last night! [Goes towards her.]
MRS. ERL. Hush- don't speak of it.
LADY WIN. 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. ERL. It is not your duty- at least you have duties to others
 besides him. You say you owe me something?
LADY WIN. I owe you everything.
MRS. ERL. 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 anyone. 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
 killed! Pledge me your word, Lady Windermere, that you will
  never tell him. I insist upon it.
LADY WIN. [With bowed head.] It is your will, not mine.
MRS. ERL. 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 WIN. [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. ERL. [With a slight shudder.] Hush, last night is quite over.

-

[Enter Lord Windermere.]

LORD WIN. Your carriage has not come back yet, Mrs. Erlynne.
MRS. ERL. 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.
 [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 WIN. Oh, certainly, if it will give you any pleasure. But it
 has my name on it. It has "Margaret" on it.
MRS. ERL. But we have the same Christian name.
LADY WIN. Oh, I forgot. Of course, do have it. What a wonderful
 chance our names being the same!
MRS. ERL. Quite wonderful. Thanks- it will always remind me of you.

[Shakes hands with her.]

[Enter Parker.]

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

[Enter Lord Augustus.]

LORD AUG. Good morning, dear boy. Good morning, Lady Windermere.
 [Sees Mrs. Erlynne.] Mrs. Erlynne!
MRS. ERL. How do you do, Lord Augustus? Are you quite well this
 morning?
LORD AUG. [Coldly.] Quite well, thank you, Mrs Erlynne.
MRS. ERL. 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 WIN. Allow me!
MRS. ERL. No, I want Lord Augustus. I have a special message for
the dear Duchess. Won’t you carry the fan, Lord Augustus?
LORD AUG. If you really desire it, Mrs. Erlynne.
MRS. ERL. [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 WIN. You will never speak against Mrs. Erlynne again, Arthur,
 will you?
LORD WIN. [Gravely.] She is better than one thought her.
LADY WIN. She is better than I am.
LORD WIN. [Smiling as he strokes her hair.] Child, you and she
 belong to different worlds. Into your world evil has never
 entered.
LADY WIN. 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 WIN. [Moves down with her.] Darling, why do you say that?
LADY WIN. [Sits on sofa.] Because I, who had shut my eyes to life,
 came to the brink. And one who had separated us-
LORD WIN. We were never parted.
LADY WIN. We never must be again. Oh, 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 AUG. Arthur, she has explained everything!

  [Lady Windermere looks horribly frightened. Lord
 Windermere starts. Lord Augustus takes Lord Windermere by

the arm, and brings him to front of stage.]

 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 club. Fact is, she wanted to
 put me out of suspense, and being told I had gone on, followed-
 naturally- frightened when she heard a lot of men 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 condition she
 makes is that we live out of England- A very good thing, too!-
 Demmed clubs, demmed climate, demmed cooks, demmed everything!
 Sick of it all.
LADY WIN. [Frightened.] Has Mrs Erlynne-?
LORD AUG. [Advancing towards her with bow.] Yes, Lady Windermere,
 Mrs. Erlynne has done me the honour of accepting my hand.
LORD WIN. Well, you are certainly marrying a very clever woman.
LADY WIN. [Taking her husband's hand.] Ah, you're marrying a very

good woman.

CURTAIN

—
THE END