a woman of no importance-第8部分

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sire　to　see　life；　to　make　himself　a　name。　　After　all；　Gerald；　you　couldn't　be　expected　to　pass　all　your　life　in　such　a　hole　as　Wrockley；　could　you？

GERALD。　　Oh；　no！　　It　would　be　dreadful！

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　A　mother's　love　is　very　touching；　of　course；　but　it　is　often　curiously　selfish。　　I　mean；　there　is　a　good　deal　of　selfishness　in　it。

GERALD。　　＇Slowly。＇　　I　suppose　there　is。

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　Your　mother　is　a　thoroughly　good　woman。　　But　good　women　have　such　limited　views　of　life；　their　horizon　is　so　small；　their　interests　are　so　petty；　aren't　they？

GERALD。　　They　are　awfully　interested；　certainly；　in　things　we　don't　care　much　about。

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　I　suppose　your　mother　is　very　religious；　and　that　sort　of　thing。

GERALD。　　Oh；　yes；　she's　always　going　to　church。

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　Ah！　she　is　not　modern；　and　to　be　modern　is　the　only　thing　worth　being　nowadays。　　You　want　to　be　modern；　don't　you；　Gerald？　　You　want　to　know　life　as　it　really　is。　　Not　to　be　put　of　with　any　old…fashioned　theories　about　life。　　Well；　what　you　have　to　do　at　present　is　simply　to　fit　yourself　for　the　best　society。　　A　man　who　can　dominate　a　London　dinner…table　can　dominate　the　world。　The　future　belongs　to　the　dandy。　　It　is　the　exquisites　who　are　going　to　rule。

GERALD。　　I　should　like　to　wear　nice　things　awfully；　but　I　have　always　been　told　that　a　man　should　not　think　too　much　about　his　clothes。

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　People　nowadays　are　so　absolutely　superficial　that　they　don't　understand　the　philosophy　of　the　superficial。　　By　the　way；　Gerald；　you　should　learn　how　to　tie　your　tie　better。　Sentiment　is　all　very　well　for　the　button…hole。　　But　the　essential　thing　for　a　necktie　is　style。　　A　well…tied　tie　is　the　first　serious　step　in　life。

GERALD。　　＇Laughing。＇　　I　might　be　able　to　learn　how　to　tie　a　tie；　Lord　Illingworth；　but　I　should　never　be　able　to　talk　as　you　do。　　I　don't　know　how　to　talk。

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　Oh！　talk　to　every　woman　as　if　you　loved　her；　and　to　every　man　as　if　he　bored　you；　and　at　the　end　of　your　first　season　you　will　have　the　reputation　of　possessing　the　most　perfect　social　tact。

GERALD。　　But　it　is　very　difficult　to　get　into　society　isn't　it？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　To　get　into　the　best　society；　nowadays；　one　has　either　to　feed　people；　amuse　people；　or　shock　people　…　that　is　all！

GERALD。　　I　suppose　society　is　wonderfully　delightful！

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　To　be　in　it　is　merely　a　bore。　　But　to　be　out　of　it　simply　a　tragedy。　　Society　is　a　necessary　thing。　　No　man　has　any　real　success　in　this　world　unless　he　has　got　women　to　back　him；　and　women　rule　society。　　If　you　have　not　got　women　on　your　side　you　are　quite　over。　　You　might　just　as　well　be　a　barrister；　or　a　stockbroker；　or　a　journalist　at　once。

GERALD。　　It　is　very　difficult　to　understand　women；　is　it　not？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　You　should　never　try　to　understand　them。　　Women　are　pictures。　　Men　are　problems。　　If　you　want　to　know　what　a　woman　really　means　…　which；　by　the　way；　is　always　a　dangerous　thing　to　do　…　look　at　her；　don't　listen　to　her。

GERALD。　　But　women　are　awfully　clever；　aren't　they？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　One　should　always　tell　them　so。　　But；　to　the　philosopher；　my　dear　Gerald；　women　represent　the　triumph　of　matter　over　mind　…　just　as　men　represent　the　triumph　of　mind　over　morals。

GERALD。　　How　then　can　women　have　so　much　power　as　you　say　they　have？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　The　history　of　women　is　the　history　of　the　worst　form　of　tyranny　the　world　has　ever　known。　　The　tyranny　of　the　weak　over　the　strong。　　It　is　the　only　tyranny　that　lasts。

GERALD。　　But　haven't　women　got　a　refining　influence？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　Nothing　refines　but　the　intellect。

GERALD。　　Still；　there　are　many　different　kinds　of　women；　aren't　there？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　Only　two　kinds　in　society：　the　plain　and　the　coloured。

GERALD。　　But　there　are　good　women　in　society；　aren't　there？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　Far　too　many。

GERALD。　　But　do　you　think　women　shouldn't　be　good？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　One　should　never　tell　them　so；　they'd　all　become　good　at　once。　　Women　are　a　fascinatingly　wilful　sex。　　Every　woman　is　a　rebel；　and　usually　in　wild　revolt　against　herself。

GERALD。　　You　have　never　been　married；　Lord　Illingworth；　have　you？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　Men　marry　because　they　are　tired；　women　because　they　are　curious。　　Both　are　disappointed。

GERALD。　　But　don't　you　think　one　can　be　happy　when　one　is　married？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　Perfectly　happy。　　But　the　happiness　of　a　married　man；　my　dear　Gerald；　depends　on　the　people　he　has　not　married。

GERALD。　　But　if　one　is　in　love？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　One　should　always　be　in　love。　　That　is　the　reason　one　should　never　marry。

GERALD。　　Love　is　a　very　wonderful　thing；　isn't　it？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　When　one　is　in　love　one　begins　by　deceiving　oneself。　　And　one　ends　by　deceiving　others。　　That　is　what　the　world　calls　a　romance。　　But　a　really　GRANDE　PASSION　is　comparatively　rare　nowadays。　　It　is　the　privilege　of　people　who　have　nothing　to　do。　That　is　the　one　use　of　the　idle　classes　in　a　country；　and　the　only　possible　explanation　of　us　Harfords。

GERALD。　　Harfords；　Lord　Illingworth？

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　That　is　my　family　name。　　You　should　study　the　Peerage；　Gerald。　　It　is　the　one　book　a　young　man　about　town　should　know　thoroughly；　and　it　is　the　best　thing　in　fiction　the　English　have　ever　done。　　And　now；　Gerald；　you　are　going　into　a　perfectly　new　life　with　me；　and　I　want　you　to　know　how　to　live。　　＇MRS。　ARBUTHNOT　appears　on　terrace　behind。＇　　For　the　world　has　been　made　by　fools　that　wise　men　should　live　in　it！

＇Enter　L。C。　LADY　HUNSTANTON　and　DR。　DAUBENY。＇

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Ah！　here　you　are；　dear　Lord　Illingworth。　　Well；　I　suppose　you　have　been　telling　our　young　friend；　Gerald；　what　his　new　duties　are　to　be；　and　giving　him　a　great　deal　of　good　advice　over　a　pleasant　cigarette。

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　I　have　been　giving　him　the　best　of　advice；　Lady　Hunstanton；　and　the　best　of　cigarettes。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　I　am　so　sorry　I　was　not　here　to　listen　to　you；　but　I　suppose　I　am　too　old　now　to　learn。　　Except　from　you；　dear　Archdeacon；　when　you　are　in　your　nice　pulpit。　　But　then　I　always　know　what　you　are　going　to　say；　so　I　don't　feel　alarmed。　　＇Sees　MRS。　ARBUTHNOT。＇　　Ah！　dear　Mrs。　Arbuthnot；　do　come　and　join　us。　Come；　dear。　　＇Enter　MRS。　ARBUTHNOT。＇　　Gerald　has　been　having　such　a　long　talk　with　Lord　Illingworth；　I　am　sure　you　must　feel　very　much　flattered　at　the　pleasant　way　in　which　everything　has　turned　out　for　him。　　Let　us　sit　down。　　＇They　sit　down。＇　　And　how　is　your　beautiful　embroidery　going　on？

MRS。　ARBUTHNOT。　　I　am　always　at　work；　Lady　Hunstanton。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Mrs。　Daubeny　embroiders　a　little；　too；　doesn't　she？

THE　ARCHDEACON。　　She　was　very　deft　with　her　needle　once；　quite　a　Dorcas。　　But　the　gout　has　crippled　her　fingers　a　good　deal。　　She　has　not　touched　the　tambour　frame　for　nine　or　ten　years。　　But　she　has　many　other　amusements。　　She　is　very　much　interested　in　her　own　health。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Ah！　that　is　always　a　nice　distraction；　in　it　not？　Now；　what　are　you　talking　about；　Lord　Illingworth？　　Do　tell　us。

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　I　was　on　the　point　of　explaining　to　Gerald　that　the　world　has　always　laughed　at　its　own　tragedies；　that　being　the　only　way　in　which　it　has　been　able　to　bear　them。　　And　that；　consequently；　whatever　the　world　has　treated　seriously　belongs　to　the　comedy　side　of　things。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Now　I　am　quite　out　of　my　depth。　　I　usually　am　when　Lord　Illingworth　says　anything。　　And　the　Humane　Society　is　most　careless。　　They　never　rescue　me。　　I　am　left　to　sink。　　I　have　a　dim　idea；　dear　Lord　Illingworth；　that　you　are　always　on　the　side　of　the　sinners；　and　I　know　I　always　try　to　be　on　the　side　of　the　saints；　but　that　is　as　far　as　I　get。　　And　after　all；　it　may　be　merely　the　fancy　of　a　drowning　person。

LORD　ILLINGWORTH。　　The　only　difference　between　the　saint　and　the　sinner　is　that　every　saint　has　a　past；　and　every　sinner　has　a　future。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Ah！　that　quite　does　for　me。　　I　haven't　a　word　to　say。　　You　and　I；　dear　Mrs。　Arbuthnot；　are　behind　the　age。　　We　can't　follow　Lord　Illingworth。　　Too　much　care　was　taken　with　our　education；　I　am　afraid。　　To　have　been　well　brought　up　is　a　great　drawback　nowadays。　　It　shuts　one　out　from　so　much。

MRS。　ARBUTHNOT。　　I　should　be　sorry　to　follow　Lord　Illingworth　in　any　of　his　opinions。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　You　are　quite　right；　dear。

＇GERALD　shrugs　his　shoulders　and　looks　irritably　over　at　his　mother。　　Enter　LADY　CAROLINE。＇

LADY　CAROLINE。　　Jane；　have　you　seen　John　anywhere？

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　You　needn't　be　anxious　about　him；　dear。　　He　is　with　Lady　Stutfield；　I　saw　them　some　time　ago；　in　the　Yellow　Drawing…room。　　They　seem　quite　happy　together。　　You　are　not　going；　Caroline？　　Pray　sit　down。

LADY　CAROLINE。　　I　think　I　had　better　look　after　John。

＇Exit　LADY　CAROLINE。＇

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　It　doesn't　do　to　pay　men　so　much　attention。　　And　Caroline　has　really　nothing　to　be　anxious　about。　　Lady　Stutfield　is　very　sympathetic。　　She　is　just　as　sympathetic　about　one　thing　as　she　is　about　another。　　A　beautiful　nature。

＇Enter　SIR　JOHN　and　MRS。　ALLONBY。＇

Ah！　here　is　Sir　John！　　And　with　Mrs。　Allonby　too！　　I　suppose　it　was　Mrs。　Allonby　I　saw　him　with。　　Sir　John；　Caroline　has　been　looking　everywhere　for　you。

MRS。　ALLONBY。　　We　have　been　waiting　for　her　in　the　Music…room；　dear　Lady　Hunstanton。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Ah！　the　Music…room；　of　course。　　I　thought　it　was　the　Yellow　Drawing…room；　my　memory　is　getting　so　defective。　　＇To　the　ARCHDEACON。＇　　Mrs。　Daubeny　has　a　wonderful　memory；　hasn't　she？

THE　ARCHDEACON。　　She　used　to　be　quite　remarkable　for　her　memory；　but　since　her　last　attack　she　recalls　chiefly　the　events　of　her　early　childhood。　　But　she　finds　great　pleasure　in　such　retrospections；　great　pleasure。

＇Enter　LADY　STUTFIELD　and　MR。　KELVIL。＇

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Ah！　dear　Lady　Stutfield！　and　what　has　Mr。　Kelvil　been　talking　to　you　about？

LADY　STUTFIELD。　　About　Bimetallism；　as　well　as　I　remember。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Bimetallism！　　Is　that　quite　a　nice　subject？　However；　I　know　people　discuss　everything　very　freely　nowadays。　What　did　Sir　John　talk　to　you　about；　dear　Mrs。　Allonby？

MRS。　ALLONBY。　　About　Patagonia。

LADY　HUNSTANTON。　　Really？　　What　a　remote　topic