didn’t read my letter, how is it that you
are here? Who told you I had left the house you were shameless
enough to enter? Who told you where I had gone to? My husband
told you and sent you to decoy me back. [Crosses L.]
MRS. ERL. [R. C.] Your husband has never seen the letter. I- saw
it, I opened it. I- read it.
LADY WIN. [Turning to her.] You opened a letter of mine to my
 husband. You wouldn’t dare!
MRS. ERL. Dare! Oh! to save you from the abyss into which you are
falling, there is nothing in the world I would not dare, nothing
in the whole world. Here is the letter. Your husband has never
read it. He never shall read it. [Going to fire-place.] It
should never have been written. [Tears it and throws it into the
fire.]
LADY WIN. [With infinite contempt in her voice and look.] How do I
know that was my letter after all? You seem to think the
commonest device can take me in!
MRS. ERL. Oh! why do you disbelieve everything I tell you? What
object do you think I have in coming here, except to save you
from utter ruin, to save you from the consequences of a hideous
mistake? That letter that is burning now was your letter. I
swear it to you!
LADY WIN. [Slowly.] You took good care to burn it before I had
examined it. I cannot trust you. You, whose whole life is a lie,
how could you speak the truth about anything? [Sits down.]
MRS. ERL. [Hurriedly.] Think as you like about me- say what you
choose against me, but go back, go back to the husband you love.
LADY WIN. [Sullenly.] I do not love him!
MRS. ERL. You do, and you know that he loves you.
LADY WIN. He does not understand what love is. He understands it as
little as you do- but I see what you want. It would be a great
advantage for you to get me back. Dear Heaven! what a life I
would have then! Living at the mercy of a woman who has neither
mercy nor pity in her, a woman whom it is an infamy to meet, a
degradation to know, a vile woman, a woman who comes between
husband and wife!
MRS. ERL. [With a gesture of despair.] Lady Windermere, Lady
Windermere, don’t say such terrible things. You don’t know how
terrible they are, how terrible and how unjust. Listen, you must
listen! Only go back to your husband, and I promise you never to
communicate with him again on any pretext- never to see him-
never to have anything to do with his life or yours. The money
 that he gave me, he gave me not through love, but through
hatred, not in worship, but in contempt. The hold I have over
him-
LADY WIN. [Rising.] Ah! you admit you have a hold!
MRS. ERL. Yes, and I will tell you what it is. It is his love for
you, Lady Windermere.
LADY WIN. You expect me to believe that?
MRS. ERL. You must believe it! It is true. It is his love for you
that has made him submit to- oh! call it what you like, tyranny,
threats, anything you choose. But it is his love for you. His
desire to spare you- shame, yes, shame and disgrace.
LADY WIN. What do you mean? You are insolent! What have I to do
with you?
MRS. ERL. [Humbly.] Nothing. I know it- but I tell you that your
husband loves you- that you may never meet with such love again
in your whole life- that such love you will never meet- and that
if you throw it away, the day may come when you will starve for
love, and it will not be given to you, beg for love and it will
be denied you- Oh! Arthur loves you!
LADY WIN. Arthur? And you tell me there is nothing between you?
MRS. ERL. Lady Windermere, before Heaven your husband is guiltless
of all offense towards you. And I- I tell you that had it ever
occurred to me that such a monstrous suspicion would have
entered your mind, I would have died rather than have crossed

your life or his- oh! died, gladly died!

[Moves away to sofa R.]

LADY WIN. You talk as if you had a heart. Women like you have no
  hearts. Heart is not in you. You are bought and sold.
  [Sits L. C.]
MRS. ERL. [Starts, with a gesture of pain. Then restrains herself,
  and comes over to where Lady Windermere is sitting. As she
  speaks, she stretches out her hands towards her, but does not
  dare to touch her.] Believe what you choose about me. I am not

 worth a moment’s sorrow. But don’t spoil your beautiful young
life on my account! You don’t know what may be in store for you,
unless you leave this house at once. You don’t know what it is
to fall into the pit, to be despised, mocked, abandoned, sneered
at- to be an outcast! to find the door shut against one, to have
to creep in by hideous byways, afraid every moment lest the mask
should be stripped from one’s face, and all the while to hear
the laughter, the horrible laughter of the world, a thing more
tragic than all the tears the world has ever shed. You don’t
know what it is. One pays for one’s sin, and then one pays
again, and all one’s life one pays. You must never know that. As
for me, if suffering be an expiation, then at this moment I have
expiated all my faults, whatever they have been; for to-night
you have made a heart in one who had it not, made it and broken
it. But let that pass, I may have wrecked my own life, but I
will not let you wreck yours. You- why, you are a mere girl, you
would be lost. You haven’t got the kind of brains that enables a
woman to get back. You have neither the wit nor the courage. You
couldn’t stand dishonour. No! Go back, Lady Windermere, to the
husband who loves you, whom you love. You have a child, Lady
Windermere. Go back to that child who even now, in pain or in
joy, may be calling to you. [Lady Windermere rises.] God gave
you that child. He will require from you that you make his life
fine, that you watch over him. What answer will you make to God
if his life is ruined through you? Back to your house, Lady
Windermere- your husband loves you. He has never swerved for a
moment from the love he bears you. But even if he had a thousand
loves, you must stay with our child. If he was harsh to you, you
must stay with your child. If he ill-treated you, you must stay
with your child. If he abandoned you, your place is with your

child.

 [Lady Windermere bursts into tears and buries her face in

her hands.]

 [Rushing to her.] Lady Windermere!
LADY WIN. [Holding out her hands to her, helplessly, as a child
might do.] Take me home. Take me home.
MRS. ERL. [Is about to embrace her. Then restrains herself. There
is a look of wonderful joy in her face.] Come! Where is your

cloak? [Getting it from sofa.] Here. Put it on. Come at once!

[They go to the door.]

LADY WIN. Stop! Don't you hear voices?
MRS. ERL. No, no! There is no one!
LADY WIN. Yes, there is! Listen! Oh! that is my husband's voice! He
 is coming in! Save me! Oh, it's some plot! You have sent for

him.

[Voices outside.]

MRS. ERL. Silence! I am here to save you if I can. But I fear it is
 too late! There! [Points to the curtain across the window.] The
 first chance you have, slip out, if you ever get a chance!
LADY WIN. But you!

MRS. ERL. Oh! never mind me. I’ll face them.

[Lady Windermere hides herself behind the curtain.]

LORD AUG. [Outside.] Nonsense, dear Windermere, you must not leave
 me!
MRS. ERL. Lord Augustus! Then it is I who am lost! [Hesitates for a

moment, then looks round and sees door, R., and exit through it.]

   [Enter Lord Darlington, Mr. Dumby, Lord Windermere, Lord

Augustus Lorton, and Mr. Cecil Graham.]

DUM. What a nuisance their turning us out of the club at this hour!
 It's only two o'clock. [Sinks into a chair.] The lively part of

 the evening is only just beginning. [Yawns and closes his eyes.]
LORD WIN. It is very good of you, Lord Darlington, allowing
Augustus to force our company on you, but I’m afraid I can’t
stay long.
LORD DAR. Really! I am so sorry! You’ll take a cigar, won’t you?
LORD WIN. Thanks! [Sits down.]
LORD AUG. [To Lord Windermere.] My dear boy, you must not dream of
going. I have a great deal to talk to you about, of demmed
importance, too. [Sits down with him at L. table.]
CEC. Oh! We all know what that is! Tuppy can’t talk about anything
but Mrs. Erlynne!
LORD WIN. Well, that is no business of yours, is it, Cecil?
CEC. None. That is why it interests me. My own business always
bores me to death. I prefer other people’s.
LORD DAR. Have something to drink, you fellows. Cecil, you’ll have
a whisky and soda?
CEC. Thanks. [Goes to the table with Lord Darlington.] Mrs. Erlynne
looked very handsome to-night, didn’t she?
LORD DAR. I am not one of her admirers.
CEC. I usen’t to be, but I am now. Why! she actually made me
introduce her to poor dear Aunt Caroline. I believe she is going
to lunch there.
LORD DAR. [In surprise.] No?
CEC. She is, really.
LORD DAR. Excuse me, you fellows. I’m going away to-morrow. And I
have to write a few letters. [Goes to writing table and sits
down.]
DUM. Clever woman, Mrs. Erlynne.
CEC. Hallo, Dumby! I thought you were asleep.
DUM. I am, I usually am!
LORD AUG. A very clever woman. Knows perfectly well what a demmed
fool I am- knows it as well as I do myself. [Cecil