a woman of no importance-第2部分

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LADY　STUTFIELD。　　Yes；　that　is　quite；　quite　true。　　I　had　not　thought　of　that。

＇Enter　SIR　JOHN　and　MR。　KELVIL。＇

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Well；　Mr。　Kelvil；　have　you　got　through　your　work？

KELVIL。　　I　have　finished　my　writing　for　the　day；　Lady　Hunstanton。　It　has　been　an　arduous　task。　　The　demands　on　the　time　of　a　public　man　are　very　heavy　nowadays；　very　heavy　indeed。　　And　I　don't　think　they　meet　with　adequate　recognition。

LADY　CAROLINE。　　John；　have　you　got　your　overshoes　on？

SIR　JOHN。　　Yes；　my　love。

LADY　CAROLINE。　　I　think　you　had　better　come　over　here；　John。　　It　is　more　sheltered。

SIR　JOHN。　　I　am　quite　comfortable；　Caroline。

LADY　CAROLINE。　　I　think　not；　John。　　You　had　better　sit　beside　me。　＇SIR　JOHN　rises　and　goes　across。＇

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　And　what　have　you　been　writing　about　this　morning；　Mr。　Kelvil？

KELVIL。　　On　the　usual　subject；　Lady　Stutfield。　　On　Purity。

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　That　must　be　such　a　very；　very　interesting　thing　to　write　about。

KELVIL。　　It　is　the　one　subject　of　really　national　importance；　nowadays；　Lady　Stutfield。　　I　purpose　addressing　my　constituents　on　the　question　before　Parliament　meets。　　I　find　that　the　poorer　classes　of　this　country　display　a　marked　desire　for　a　higher　ethical　standard。

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　How　quite；　quite　nice　of　them。

LADY　CAROLINE。　　Are　you　in　favour　of　women　taking　part　in　politics；　Mr。　Kettle？

SIR　JOHN。　　Kelvil；　my　love；　Kelvil。

KELVIL。　　The　growing　influence　of　women　is　the　one　reassuring　thing　in　our　political　life；　Lady　Caroline。　　Women　are　always　on　the　side　of　morality；　public　and　private。

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　It　is　so　very；　very　gratifying　to　hear　you　say　that。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Ah；　yes！　…　the　moral　qualities　in　women　…　that　is　the　important　thing。　　I　am　afraid；　Caroline；　that　dear　Lord　Illingworth　doesn't　value　the　moral　qualities　in　women　as　much　as　he　should。

＇Enter　LORD　ILLINGWORTH。＇

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　The　world　says　that　Lord　Illingworth　is　very；　very　wicked。

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　But　what　world　says　that；　Lady　Stutfield？　　It　must　be　the　next　world。　　This　world　and　I　are　on　excellent　terms。　＇Sits　down　beside　MRS。　ALLONBY。＇

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　Every　one　I　know　says　you　are　very；　very　wicked。

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　It　is　perfectly　monstrous　the　way　people　go　about；　nowadays；　saying　things　against　one　behind　one's　back　that　are　absolutely　and　entirely　true。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Dear　Lord　Illingworth　is　quite　hopeless；　Lady　Stutfield。　　I　have　given　up　trying　to　reform　him。　　It　would　take　a　Public　Company　with　a　Board　of　Directors　and　a　paid　Secretary　to　do　that。　　But　you　have　the　secretary　already；　Lord　Illingworth；　haven't　you？　　Gerald　Arbuthnot　has　told　us　of　his　good　fortune；　it　is　really　most　kind　of　you。

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　Oh；　don't　say　that；　Lady　Hunstanton。　　Kind　is　a　dreadful　word。　　I　took　a　great　fancy　to　young　Arbuthnot　the　moment　I　met　him；　and　he'll　be　of　considerable　use　to　me　in　something　I　am　foolish　enough　to　think　of　doing。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　He　is　an　admirable　young　man。　　And　his　mother　is　one　of　my　dearest　friends。　　He　has　just　gone　for　a　walk　with　our　pretty　American。　　She　is　very　pretty；　is　she　not？

LADY　CAROLINE。　　Far　too　pretty。　　These　American　girls　carry　off　all　the　good　matches。　　Why　can't　they　stay　in　their　own　country？　　They　are　always　telling　us　it　is　the　Paradise　of　women。

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　It　is；　Lady　Caroline。　　That　is　why；　like　Eve；　they　are　so　extremely　anxious　to　get　out　of　it。

LADY　CAROLINE。　　Who　are　Miss　Worsley's　parents？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　American　women　are　wonderfully　clever　in　concealing　their　parents。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　My　dear　Lord　Illingworth；　what　do　you　mean？　　Miss　Worsley；　Caroline；　is　an　orphan。　　Her　father　was　a　very　wealthy　millionaire　or　philanthropist；　or　both；　I　believe；　who　entertained　my　son　quite　hospitably；　when　he　visited　Boston。　　I　don't　know　how　he　made　his　money；　originally。

KELVIL。　　I　fancy　in　American　dry　goods。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　What　are　American　dry　goods？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　American　novels。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　How　very　singular！　。　。　。　Well；　from　whatever　source　her　large　fortune　came；　I　have　a　great　esteem　for　Miss　Worsley。　　She　dresses　exceedingly　well。　　All　Americans　do　dress　well。　　They　get　their　clothes　in　Paris。

MRS。　ALLONBY。　　They　say；　Lady　Hunstanton；　that　when　good　Americans　die　they　go　to　Paris。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Indeed？　　And　when　bad　Americans　die；　where　do　they　go　to？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　Oh；　they　go　to　America。

KELVIL。　　I　am　afraid　you　don't　appreciate　America；　Lord　Illingworth。　　It　is　a　very　remarkable　country；　especially　considering　its　youth。

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　The　youth　of　America　is　their　oldest　tradition。　It　has　been　going　on　now　for　three　hundred　years。　　To　hear　them　talk　one　would　imagine　they　were　in　their　first　childhood。　　As　far　as　civilisation　goes　they　are　in　their　second。

KELVIL。　　There　is　undoubtedly　a　great　deal　of　corruption　in　American　politics。　　I　suppose　you　allude　to　that？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　I　wonder。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Politics　are　in　a　sad　way　everywhere；　I　am　told。　They　certainly　are　in　England。　　Dear　Mr。　Cardew　is　ruining　the　country。　　I　wonder　Mrs。　Cardew　allows　him。　　I　am　sure；　Lord　Illingworth；　you　don't　think　that　uneducated　people　should　be　allowed　to　have　votes？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　I　think　they　are　the　only　people　who　should。

KELVIL。　　Do　you　take　no　side　then　in　modern　politics；　Lord　Illingworth？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　One　should　never　take　sides　in　anything；　Mr。　Kelvil。　　Taking　sides　is　the　beginning　of　sincerity；　and　earnestness　follows　shortly　afterwards；　and　the　human　being　becomes　a　bore。　　However；　the　House　of　Commons　really　does　very　little　harm。　　You　can't　make　people　good　by　Act　of　Parliament；　…　that　is　something。

KELVIL。　　You　cannot　deny　that　the　House　of　Commons　has　always　shown　great　sympathy　with　the　sufferings　of　the　poor。

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　That　is　its　special　vice。　　That　is　the　special　vice　of　the　age。　　One　should　sympathise　with　the　joy；　the　beauty；　the　colour　of　life。　　The　less　said　about　life's　sores　the　better；　Mr。　Kelvil。

KELVIL。　　Still　our　East　End　is　a　very　important　problem。

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　Quite　so。　　It　is　the　problem　of　slavery。　　And　we　are　trying　to　solve　it　by　amusing　the　slaves。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Certainly；　a　great　deal　may　be　done　by　means　of　cheap　entertainments；　as　you　say；　Lord　Illingworth。　　Dear　Dr。　Daubeny；　our　rector　here；　provides；　with　the　assistance　of　his　curates；　really　admirable　recreations　for　the　poor　during　the　winter。　　And　much　good　may　be　done　by　means　of　a　magic　lantern；　or　a　missionary；　or　some　popular　amusement　of　that　kind。

LADY　CAROLINE。　　I　am　not　at　all　in　favour　of　amusements　for　the　poor；　Jane。　　Blankets　and　coals　are　sufficient。　　There　is　too　much　love　of　pleasure　amongst　the　upper　classes　as　it　is。　　Health　is　what　we　want　in　modern　life。　　The　tone　is　not　healthy；　not　healthy　at　all。

KELVIL。　　You　are　quite　right；　Lady　Caroline。

LADY　CAROLINE。　　I　believe　I　am　usually　right。

MRS。　ALLONBY。　　Horrid　word　'health。'

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　Silliest　word　in　our　language；　and　one　knows　so　well　the　popular　idea　of　health。　　The　English　country　gentleman　galloping　after　a　fox　…　the　unspeakable　in　full　pursuit　of　the　uneatable。

KELVIL。　　May　I　ask；　Lord　Illingworth；　if　you　regard　the　House　of　Lords　as　a　better　institution　than　the　House　of　Commons？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　A　much　better　institution；　of　course。　　We　in　the　House　of　Lords　are　never　in　touch　with　public　opinion。　　That　makes　us　a　civilised　body。

KELVIL。　　Are　you　serious　in　putting　forward　such　a　view？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　Quite　serious；　Mr。　Kelvil。　　＇To　MRS。　ALLONBY。＇　Vulgar　habit　that　is　people　have　nowadays　of　asking　one；　after　one　has　given　them　an　idea；　whether　one　is　serious　or　not。　　Nothing　is　serious　except　passion。　　The　intellect　is　not　a　serious　thing；　and　never　has　been。　　It　is　an　instrument　on　which　one　plays；　that　is　all。　　The　only　serious　form　of　intellect　I　know　is　the　British　intellect。　　And　on　the　British　intellect　the　illiterates　play　the　drum。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　What　are　you　saying；　Lord　Illingworth；　about　the　drum？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　I　was　merely　talking　to　Mrs。　Allonby　about　the　leading　articles　in　the　London　newspapers。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　But　do　you　believe　all　that　is　written　in　the　newspapers？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　I　do。　　Nowadays　it　is　only　the　unreadable　that　occurs。　　＇Rises　with　MRS。　ALLONBY。＇

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Are　you　going；　Mrs。　Allonby？

MRS。　ALLONBY。　　Just　as　far　as　the　conservatory。　　Lord　Illingworth　told　me　this　morning　that　there　was　an　orchid　there　m　beautiful　as　the　seven　deadly　sins。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　My　dear；　I　hope　there　is　nothing　of　the　kind。　　I　will　certainly　speak　to　the　gardener。

＇Exit　MRS。　ALLONBY　and　LORD　ILLINGWORTH。＇

LADY　CAROLINE。　　Remarkable　type；　Mrs。　Allonby。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　She　lets　her　clever　tongue　run　away　with　her　sometimes。

LADY　CAROLINE。　　Is　that　the　only　thing；　Jane；　Mrs。　Allonby　allows　to　run　away　with　her？

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　I　hope　so；　Caroline；　I　am　sure。

＇Enter　LORD　ALFRED。＇

Dear　Lord　Alfred；　do　join　us。　　＇LORD　ALFRED　sits　down　beside　LADY　STUTFIELD。＇

LADY　CAROLINE。　　You　believe　good　of　every　one；　Jane。　　It　is　a　great　fault。

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　Do　you　really；　really　think；　Lady　Caroline；　that　one　should　believe　evil　of　every　one？

LADY　CAROLINE。　　I　think　it　is　much　safer　to　do　so；　Lady　Stutfield。　Until；　of　course；　people　are　found　out　to　be　good。　　But　that　requires　a　great　deal　of　investigation　nowadays。

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　But　there　is　so　much　unkind　scandal　in　modern　life。

LADY　CAROLINE。　　Lord　Illingworth　remarked　to　me　last　night　at　dinner　that　the　basis　of　every　scandal　is　an　absolutely　immoral　certainty。

KELVIL。　　Lord　Illingworth　is；　of　course；　a　very　brilliant　man；　but　he　seems　to　me　to　be　lacking　in　that　fine　faith　in　the　nobility　and　purity　of　life　which　is　so　important　in　this　century。

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　Yes；　quite；　quite　important；　is　it　not？

KELVIL。　　He　gives　me　the　impression　of　a　man　who　does　not　appreciate　the　beauty　of　our　English　home…life。　　I　would　say　that　he　was　tainted　with　foreign　ideas　on　the　subject。

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　There　is　nothing；　nothing　like　the　beauty　of　home…　life；　is　there？

KELVIL。　　It　is　the　mainstay　of　our　m