a woman of no importance-第5部分

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th　just　reproaches　in　less　than　twenty　minutes；　and　to　be　positively　violent　at　the　end　of　half　an　hour；　and　to　leave　us　for　ever　at　a　quarter　to　eight；　when　we　have　to　go　and　dress　for　dinner。　　And　when；　after　that；　one　has　seen　him　for　really　the　last　time；　and　he　has　refused　to　take　back　the　little　things　he　has　given　one；　and　promised　never　to　communicate　with　one　again；　or　to　write　one　any　foolish　letters；　he　should　be　perfectly　broken…hearted；　and　telegraph　to　one　all　day　long；　and　send　one　little　notes　every　half…hour　by　a　private　hansom；　and　dine　quite　alone　at　the　club；　so　that　every　one　should　know　how　unhappy　he　was。　　And　after　a　whole　dreadful　week；　during　which　one　has　gone　about　everywhere　with　one's　husband；　just　to　show　how　absolutely　lonely　one　was；　he　may　be　given　a　third　last　parting；　in　the　evening；　and　then；　if　his　conduct　has　been　quite　irreproachable；　and　one　has　behaved　really　badly　to　him；　he　should　be　allowed　to　admit　that　he　has　been　entirely　in　the　wrong；　and　when　he　has　admitted　that；　it　becomes　a　woman's　duty　to　forgive；　and　one　can　do　it　all　over　again　from　the　beginning；　with　variations。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　How　clever　you　are；　my　dear！　　You　never　mean　a　single　word　you　say。

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　Thank　you；　thank　you。　　It　has　been　quite；　quite　entrancing。　　I　must　try　and　remember　it　all。　　There　are　such　a　number　of　details　that　are　so　very；　very　important。

LADY　CAROLINE。　　But　you　have　not　told　us　yet　what　the　reward　of　the　Ideal　Man　is　to　be。

MRS。　ALLONBY。　　His　reward？　　Oh；　infinite　expectation。　　That　is　quite　enough　for　him。

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　But　men　are　so　terribly；　terribly　exacting；　are　they　not？

MRS。　ALLONBY。　　That　makes　no　matter。　　One　should　never　surrender。

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　Not　even　to　the　Ideal　Man？

MRS。　ALLONBY。　　Certainly　not　to　him。　　Unless；　of　course；　one　wants　to　grow　tired　of　him。

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　Oh！　。　。　。　yes。　　I　see　that。　　It　is　very；　very　helpful。　　Do　you　think；　Mrs。　Allonby；　I　shall　ever　meet　the　Ideal　Man？　　Or　are　there　more　than　one？

MRS。　ALLONBY。　　There　are　just　four　in　London；　Lady　Stutfield。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Oh；　my　dear！

MRS。　ALLONBY。　　＇Going　over　to　her。＇　　What　has　happened？　　Do　tell　me。

LADY　HUNSTANTON　＇in　a　low　voice＇　　I　had　completely　forgotten　that　the　American　young　lady　has　been　in　the　room　all　the　time。　　I　am　afraid　some　of　this　clever　talk　may　have　shocked　her　a　little。

MRS。　ALLONBY。　　Ah；　that　will　do　her　so　much　good！

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Let　us　hope　she　didn't　understand　much。　　I　think　I　had　better　go　over　and　talk　to　her。　　＇Rises　and　goes　across　to　HESTER　WORSLEY。＇　　Well；　dear　Miss　Worsley。　＇Sitting　down　beside　her。＇　　How　quiet　you　have　been　in　your　nice　little　corner　all　this　time！　　I　suppose　you　have　been　reading　a　book？　　There　are　so　many　books　here　in　the　library。

HESTER。　　No；　I　have　been　listening　to　the　conversation。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　You　mustn't　believe　everything　that　was　said；　you　know；　dear。

HESTER。　　I　didn't　believe　any　of　it

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　That　is　quite　right；　dear。

HESTER。　　＇Continuing。＇　　I　couldn't　believe　that　any　women　could　really　hold　such　views　of　life　as　I　have　heard　to…night　from　some　of　your　guests。　　＇An　awkward　pause。＇

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　I　hear　you　have　such　pleasant　society　in　America。　Quite　like　our　own　in　places；　my　son　wrote　to　me。

HESTER。　　There　are　cliques　in　America　as　elsewhere；　Lady　Hunstanton。　　But　true　American　society　consists　simply　of　all　the　good　women　and　good　men　we　have　in　our　country。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　What　a　sensible　system；　and　I　dare　say　quite　pleasant　too。　　I　am　afraid　in　England　we　have　too　many　artificial　social　barriers。　　We　don't　see　as　much　as　we　should　of　the　middle　and　lower　classes。

HESTER。　　In　America　we　have　no　lower　classes。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Really？　　What　a　very　strange　arrangement！

MRS。　ALLONBY。　　What　is　that　dreadful　girl　talking　about？

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　She　is　painfully　natural；　is　she　not？

LADY　CAROLINE。　　There　are　a　great　many　things　you　haven't　got　in　America；　I　am　told；　Miss　Worsley。　　They　say　you　have　no　ruins；　and　no　curiosities。

MRS。　ALLONBY。　　＇To　LADY　STUTFIELD。＇　　What　nonsense！　　They　have　their　mothers　and　their　manners。

HESTER。　　The　English　aristocracy　supply　us　with　our　curiosities；　Lady　Caroline。　　They　are　sent　over　to　us　every　summer；　regularly；　in　the　steamers；　and　propose　to　us　the　day　after　they　land。　　As　for　ruins；　we　are　trying　to　build　up　something　that　will　last　longer　than　brick　or　stone。　　＇Gets　up　to　take　her　fan　from　table。＇

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　What　is　that；　dear？　　Ah；　yes；　an　iron　Exhibition；　is　it　not；　at　that　place　that　has　the　curious　name？

HESTER。　　＇Standing　by　table。＇　　We　are　trying　to　build　up　life；　Lady　Hunstanton；　on　a　better；　truer；　purer　basis　than　life　rests　on　here。　　This　sounds　strange　to　you　all；　no　doubt。　　How　could　it　sound　other　than　strange？　　You　rich　people　in　England；　you　don't　know　how　you　are　living。　　How　could　you　know？　　You　shut　out　from　your　society　the　gentle　and　the　good。　　You　laugh　at　the　simple　and　the　pure。　　Living；　as　you　all　do；　on　others　and　by　them；　you　sneer　at　self…sacrifice；　and　if　you　throw　bread　to　the　poor；　it　is　merely　to　keep　them　quiet　for　a　season。　　With　all　your　pomp　and　wealth　and　art　you　don't　know　how　to　live　…　you　don't　even　know　that。　　You　love　the　beauty　that　you　can　see　and　touch　and　handle；　the　beauty　that　you　can　destroy；　and　do　destroy；　but　of　the　unseen　beauty　of　life；　of　the　unseen　beauty　of　a　higher　life；　you　know　nothing。　　You　have　lost　life's　secret。　　Oh；　your　English　society　seems　to　me　shallow；　selfish；　foolish。　　It　has　blinded　its　eyes；　and　stopped　its　ears。　　It　lies　like　a　leper　in　purple。　　It　sits　like　a　dead　thing　smeared　with　gold。　　It　is　all　wrong；　all　wrong。

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　I　don't　think　one　should　know　of　these　things。　　It　is　not　very；　very　nice；　is　it？

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　My　dear　Miss　Worsley；　I　thought　you　liked　English　society　so　much。　　You　were　such　a　success　in　it。　　And　you　were　so　much　admired　by　the　best　people。　　I　quite　forget　what　Lord　Henry　Weston　said　of　you　…　but　it　was　most　complimentary；　and　you　know　what　an　authority　he　is　on　beauty。

HESTER。　　Lord　Henry　Weston！　　I　remember　him；　Lady　Hunstanton。　　A　man　with　a　hideous　smile　and　a　hideous　past。　　He　is　asked　everywhere。　　No　dinner…party　is　complete　without　him。　　What　of　those　whose　ruin　is　due　to　him？　　They　are　outcasts。　　They　are　nameless。　　If　you　met　them　in　the　street　you　would　turn　your　head　away。　　I　don't　complain　of　their　punishment。　　Let　all　women　who　have　sinned　be　punished。

＇MRS。　ARBUTHNOT　enters　from　terrace　behind　in　a　cloak　with　a　lace　veil　over　her　head。　　She　hears　the　last　words　and　starts。＇

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　My　dear　young　lady！

HESTER。　　It　is　right　that　they　should　be　punished；　but　don't　let　them　be　the　only　ones　to　suffer。　　If　a　man　and　woman　have　sinned；　let　them　both　go　forth　into　the　desert　to　love　or　loathe　each　other　there。　　Let　them　both　be　branded。　　Set　a　mark；　if　you　wish；　on　each；　but　don't　punish　the　one　and　let　the　other　go　free。　　Don't　have　one　law　for　men　and　another　for　women。　　You　are　unjust　to　women　in　England。　　And　till　you　count　what　is　a　shame　in　a　woman　to　be　an　infamy　in　a　man；　you　will　always　be　unjust；　and　Right；　that　pillar　of　fire；　and　Wrong；　that　pillar　of　cloud；　will　be　made　dim　to　your　eyes；　or　be　not　seen　at　all；　or　if　seen；　not　regarded

LADY　CAROLINE。　　Might　I；　dear　Miss　Worsley；　as　you　are　standing　up；　ask　you　for　my　cotton　that　is　just　behind　you？　　Thank　you。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　My　dear　Mrs。　Arbuthnot！　　I　am　so　pleased　you　have　come　up。　　But　I　didn't　hear　you　announced。

MRS。　ALLONBY。　　Oh；　I　came　straight　in　from　the　terrace；　Lady　Hunstanton；　just　as　I　was。　　You　didn't　tell　me　you　had　a　party。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Not　a　party。　　Only　a　few　guests　who　are　staying　in　the　house；　and　whom　you　must　know。　　Allow　me。　　＇Tries　to　help　her。　　Rings　bell。＇　　Caroline；　this　is　Mrs。　Arbuthnot；　one　of　my　sweetest　friends。　　Lady　Caroline　Pontefract；　Lady　Stutfield；　Mrs。　Allonby；　and　my　young　American　friend；　Miss　Worsley；　who　has　just　been　telling　us　all　how　wicked　we　are。

HESTER。　　I　am　afraid　you　think　I　spoke　too　strongly；　Lady　Hunstanton。　　But　there　are　some　things　in　England　…

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　My　dear　young　lady；　there　was　a　great　deal　of　truth；　I　dare　say；　in　what　you　said；　and　you　looked　very　pretty　while　you　said　it；　which　is　much　more　important；　Lord　Illingworth　would　tell　us。　　The　only　point　where　I　thought　you　were　a　little　hard　was　about　Lady　Caroline's　brother；　about　poor　Lord　Henry。　　He　is　really　such　good　company。

＇Enter　Footman。＇

Take　Mrs。　Arbuthnot's　things。

＇Exit　Footman　with　wraps。＇

HESTER。　　Lady　Caroline；　I　had　no　idea　it　was　your　brother。　　I　am　sorry　for　the　pain　I　must　have　caused　you　…　I　…

LADY　CAROLINE。　　My　dear　Miss　Worsley；　the　only　part　of　your　little　speech；　if　I　may　so　term　it；　with　which　I　thoroughly　agreed；　was　the　part　about　my　brother。　　Nothing　that　you　could　possibly　say　could　be　too　bad　for　him。　　I　regard　Henry　as　infamous；　absolutely　infamous。　　But　I　am　bound　to　state；　as　you　were　remarking；　Jane；　that　he　is　excellent　company；　and　he　has　one　of　the　best　cooks　in　London；　and　after　a　good　dinner　one　can　forgive　anybody；　even　one's　own　relations。

LADY　HUNSTANTON　＇to　MISS　WORSLEY＇　　Now；　do　come；　dear；　and　make　friends　with　Mrs。　Arbuthnot。　　She　is　one　of　the　good；　sweet；　simple　people　you　told　us　we　never　admitted　into　society。　　I　am　sorry　to　say　Mrs。　Arbuthnot　comes　very　rarely　to　me。　　But　that　is　not　my　fault。

MRS。　ALLONBY。　　What　a　bore　it　is　the　men　staying　so　long　after　dinner！　　I　expect　they　are　saying　the　most　dreadful　things　about　us。

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　Do　you　really　think　so？

MRS。　ALLONBY。　　I　was　sure　of　it。

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　How　very；　very　horrid　of　them！　　Shall　we　go　onto　the　terrace？

MRS。　ALLONBY。　　Oh；　anything　to　get　away　from　the　dowagers　and　the　dowdies。　　＇Rises　and　goes　with　LADY　STUTFIELD　to　door　L。C。＇　　We　are　only　going　to　look　at　the　stars；　Lady　Hunstanton。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　You　will　find　a　great　many；　dear；　a　great　many。　But　don't　catch　cold。　　＇To　MRS。　ARBUTHNOT。＇　　We　shall　all　miss　Gerald　so　much；　dear　Mrs。　Arbuthnot。

MRS。　ARBUTHNOT。　　But　has　Lord　Illingworth　really　offered　to　make　Gerald　his　secretary？

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Oh；　yes！　　He