少奶奶的扇子 英文版 Lady Windermere's Fan
奥斯卡.王尔德 Oscar Wilde
FOURTH ACT
SCENE--Same as in Act I.
LADY WINDERMERE. (Lying on sofa.) How can I tell him? I can'ttell him. It would kill me. I wonder what happened after Iescaped from that horrible room. Perhaps she told them the truereason of her being there, and the real meaning of that--fatal fanof mine. Oh, if he knows--how can I look him in the face again?He would never forgive me. (Touches bell.) How securely onethinks one lives--out of reach of temptation, sin, folly. And thensuddenly--Oh! Life is terrible. It rules us, we do not rule it.
(Enter ROSALIE R.)
ROSALIE. Did your ladyship ring for me?
LADY WINDERMERE. Yes. Have you found out at what time LordWindermere came in last night?
ROSALIE. His lordship did not come in till five o'clock.
LADY WINDERMERE. Five o'clock? He knocked at my door thismorning, didn't he?
ROSALIE. Yes, my lady--at half-past nine. I told him yourladyship was not awake yet.
LADY WINDERMERE. Did he say anything?
ROSALIE. Something about your ladyship's fan. I didn't quitecatch what his lordship said. Has the fan been lost, my lady? Ican't find it, and Parker says it was not left in any of the rooms.He has looked in all of them and on the terrace as well.
LADY WINDERMERE. It doesn't matter. Tell Parker not to trouble.That will do.
(Exit ROSALIE.)
LADY WINDERMERE. (Rising.) She is sure to tell him. I can fancya person doing a wonderful act of self-sacrifice, doing itspontaneously, recklessly, nobly--and afterwards finding out thatit costs too much. Why should she hesitate between her ruin andmine? . . . How strange! I would have publicly disgraced her in myown house. She accepts public disgrace in the house of another tosave me. . . . There is a bitter irony in things, a bitter irony inthe way we talk of good and bad women. . . . Oh, what a lesson! andwhat a pity that in life we only get our lessons when they are ofno use to us! For even if she doesn't tell, I must. Oh! the shameof it, the shame of it. To tell it is to live through it allagain. Actions are the first tragedy in life, words are thesecond. Words are perhaps the worst. Words are merciless. . . Oh!(Starts as LORD WINDERMERE enters.)
LORD WINDERMERE. (Kisses her.) Margaret--how pale you look!
Exit PARKER.)LORD AUGUSTUS.
LADY WINDERMERE. I slept very badly.
LORD WINDERMERE. (Sitting on sofa with her.) I am so sorry. Icame in dreadfully late, and didn't like to wake you. You arecrying, dear.
LADY WINDERMERE. Yes, I am crying, for I have something to tellyou, Arthur.
LORD WINDERMERE. My dear child, you are not well. You've beendoing too much. Let us go away to the country. You'll be allright at Selby. The season is almost over. There is no usestaying on. Poor darling! We'll go away to-day, if you like.(Rises.) We can easily catch the 3.40. I'll send a wire toFannen. (Crosses and sits down at table to write a telegram.)
LADY WINDERMERE. Yes; let us go away to-day. No; I can't go to-day, Arthur. There is some one I must see before I leave town--some one who has been kind to me.
LORD WINDERMERE. (Rising and leaning over sofa.) Kind to you?
LADY WINDERMERE. Far more than that. (Rises and goes to him.) Iwill tell you, Arthur, but only love me, love me as you used tolove me.
LORD WINDERMERE. Used to? You are not thinking of that wretchedwoman who came here last night? (Coming round and sitting R. ofher.) You don't still imagine--no, you couldn't.
LADY WINDERMERE. I don't. I know now I was wrong and foolish.
LORD WINDERMERE. It was very good of you to receive her lastnight--but you are never to see her again.
LADY WINDERMERE. Why do you say that? (A pause.)
LORD WINDERMERE. (Holding her hand.) Margaret, I thought Mrs.Erlynne was a woman more sinned against than sinning, as the phrasegoes. I thought she wanted to be good, to get back into a placethat she had lost by a moment's folly, to lead again a decent life.I believed what she told me--I was mistaken in her. She is bad--asbad as a woman can be.
LADY WINDERMERE. Arthur, Arthur, don't talk so bitterly about anywoman. I don't think now that people can be divided into the goodand the bad as though they were two separate races or creations.What are called good women may have terrible things in them, madmoods of recklessness, assertion, jealousy, sin. Bad women, asthey are termed, may have in them sorrow, repentance, pity,sacrifice. And I don't think Mrs. Erlynne a bad woman--I knowshe's not.
LORD WINDERMERE. My dear child, the woman's impossible. No matterwhat harm she tries to do us, you must never see her again. She isinadmissible anywhere.
LADY WINDERMERE. But I want to see her. I want her to come here.
LORD WINDERMERE. Never!
LADY WINDERMERE. She came here once as YOUR guest. She must comenow as MINE. That is but fair.
LORD WINDERMERE. She should never have come here.
LADY WINDERMERE. (Rising.) It is too late, Arthur, to say thatnow. (Moves away.)
LORD WINDERMERE. (Rising.) Margaret, if you knew where Mrs.Erlynne went last night, after she left this house, you would notsit in the same room with her. It was absolutely shameless, thewhole thing.
LADY WINDERMERE. Arthur, I can't bear it any longer. I must tellyou. Last night -
(Enter PARKER with a tray on which lie LADY WINDERMERE'S fan and acard.)
PARKER. Mrs. Erlynne has called to return your ladyship's fanwhich she took away by mistake last night. Mrs. Erlynne haswritten a message on the card.
LADY WINDERMERE. Oh, ask Mrs. Erlynne to be kind enough to comeup. (Reads card.) Say I shall be very glad to see her. (ExitPARKER.) She wants to see me, Arthur.
LORD WINDERMERE. (Takes card and looks at it.) Margaret, I BEGyou not to. Let me see her first, at any rate. She's a verydangerous woman. She is the most dangerous woman I know. Youdon't realise what you're doing.
LADY WINDERMERE. It is right that I should see her.
LORD WINDERMERE. My child, you may be on the brink of a greatsorrow. Don't go to meet it. It is absolutely necessary that Ishould see her before you do.
LADY WINDERMERE. Why should it be necessary?
(Enter PARKER.)
PARKER. Mrs. Erlynne.
(Enter MRS. ERLYNNE.)
(Exit PARKER.)
MRS. ERLYNNE. How do you do, Lady Windermere? (To LORDWINDERMERE.) How do you do? Do you know, Lady Windermere, I am sosorry about your fan. I can't imagine how I made such a sillymistake. Most stupid of me. And as I was driving in yourdirection, I thought I would take the opportunity of returning yourproperty in person with many apologies for my carelessness, and ofbidding you good-bye.
LADY WINDERMERE. Good-bye? (Moves towards sofa with MRS. ERLYNNEand sits down beside her.) Are you going away, then, Mrs. Erlynne?
MRS. ERLYNNE. Yes; I am going to live abroad again. The Englishclimate doesn't suit me. My--heart is affected here, and that Idon't like. I prefer living in the south. London is too full offogs and--and serious people, Lord Windermere. Whether the fogsproduce the serious people or whether the serious people producethe fogs, I don't know, but the whole thing rather gets on mynerves, and so I'm leaving this afternoon by the Club Train.
LADY WINDERMERE. This afternoon? But I wanted so much to come andsee you.
MRS. ERLYNNE. How kind of you! But I am afraid I have to go.
LADY WINDERMERE. Shall I never see you again, Mrs. Erlynne?
MRS. ERLYNNE. I am afraid not. Our lives lie too far apart. Butthere is a little thing I would like you to do for me. I want aphotograph of you, Lady Windermere--would you give me one? Youdon't know how gratified I should be.
LADY WINDERMERE. Oh, with pleasure. There is one on that table.I'll show it to you. (Goes across to the table.)
LORD WINDERMERE. (Coming up to MRS. ERLYNNE and speaking in a lowvoice.) It is monstrous your intruding yourself here after yourconduct last night.
MRS. ERLYNNE. (With an amused smile.) My dear Windermere, mannersbefore morals!
LADY WINDERMERE. (Returning.) I'm afraid it is very flattering--Iam not so pretty as that. (Showing photograph.)
MRS. ERLYNNE. You are much prettier. But haven't you got one ofyourself with your little boy?
LADY WINDERMERE. I have. Would you prefer one of those?
MRS. ERLYNNE. Yes.
LADY WINDERMERE. I'll go and get it for you, if you'll excuse mefor a moment. I have one upstairs.
MRS. ERLYNNE. So sorry, Lady Windermere, to give you so muchtrouble.
LADY WINDERMERE. (Moves to door R.) No trouble at all, Mrs.Erlynne.
MRS. ERLYNNE. Thanks so much.
I can't bear it any longer. I must tellyou.
(Exit LADY WINDERMERE R.) You seem rather out of temper thismorning, Windermere. Why should you be? Margaret and I get oncharmingly together.
LORD WINDERMERE. I can't bear to see you with her. Besides, youhave not told me the truth, Mrs. Erlynne.
MRS. ERLYNNE. I have not told HER the truth, you mean.
LORD WINDERMERE. (Standing C.) I sometimes wish you had. Ishould have been spared then the misery, the anxiety, the annoyanceof the last six months. But rather than my wife should know--thatthe mother whom she was taught to consider as dead, the mother whomshe has mourned as dead, is living--a divorced woman, going aboutunder an assumed name, a bad woman preying upon life, as I know younow to be--rather than that, I was ready to supply you with moneyto pay bill after bill, extravagance after extravagance, to riskwhat occurred yesterday, the first quarrel I have ever had with mywife. You don't understand what that means to me. How could you?But I tell you that the only bitter words that ever came from thosesweet lips of hers were on your account, and I hate to see you nexther. You sully the innocence that is in her. (Moves L.C.) Andthen I used to think that with all your faults you were frank andhonest. You are not.
MRS. ERLYNNE. Why do you say that?
LORD WINDERMERE. You made me get you an invitation to my wife'sball.
MRS. ERLYNNE. For my daughter's ball--yes.
LORD WINDERMERE. You came, and within an hour of your leaving thehouse you are found in a man's rooms--you are disgraced beforeevery one. (Goes up stage C.)
MRS. ERLYNNE. Yes.
LORD WINDERMERE. (Turning round on her.) Therefore I have a rightto look upon you as what you are--a worthless, vicious woman. Ihave the right to tell you never to enter this house, never toattempt to come near my wife -
MRS. ERLYNNE. (Coldly.) My daughter, you mean.
LORD WINDERMERE. You have no right to claim her as your daughter.You left her, abandoned her when she was but a child in the cradle,abandoned her for your lover, who abandoned you in turn.
MRS. ERLYNNE. (Rising.) Do you count that to his credit, LordWindermere--or to mine?
LORD WINDERMERE. To his, now that I know you.
MRS. ERLYNNE. Take care--you had better be careful.
LORD WINDERMERE. Oh, I am not going to mince words for you. Iknow you thoroughly.
MRS. ERLYNNE. (Looks steadily at him.) I question that.
LORD WINDERMERE. I DO know you. For twenty years of your life youlived without your child, without a thought of your child. One dayyou read in the papers that she had married a rich man. You sawyour hideous chance. You knew that to spare her the ignominy oflearning that a woman like you was her mother, I would endureanything. You began your blackmailing,
MRS. ERLYNNE. (Shrugging her shoulders.) Don't use ugly words,Windermere. They are vulgar. I saw my chance, it is true, andtook it.
LORD WINDERMERE. Yes, you took it--and spoiled it all last nightby being found out.
MRS. ERLYNNE. (With a strange smile.) You are quite right, Ispoiled it all last night.
LORD WINDERMERE. And as for your blunder in taking my wife's fanfrom here and then leaving it about in Darlington's rooms, it isunpardonable. I can't bear the sight of it now. I shall never letmy wife use it again. The thing is soiled for me. You should havekept it and not brought it back.
MRS. ERLYNNE. I think I shall keep it. (Goes up.) It's extremelypretty. (Takes up fan.) I shall ask Margaret to give it to me.
LORD WINDERMERE. I hope my wife will give it you.
MRS. ERLYNNE. Oh, I'm sure she will have no objection.
LORD WINDERMERE. I wish that at the same time she would give you aminiature she kisses every night before she prays--It's theminiature of a young innocent-looking girl with beautiful DARKhair.
MRS. ERLYNNE. Ah, yes, I remember. How long ago that seems!(Goes to sofa and sits down.) It was done before I was married.Dark hair and an innocent expression were the fashion then,Windermere! (A pause.)
LORD WINDERMERE. What do you mean by coming here this morning?What is your object? (Crossing L.C. and sitting.)
MRS. ERLYNNE. (With a note of irony in her voice.) To bid good-bye to my dear daughter, of course. (LORD WINDERMERE bites hisunder lip in anger. MRS. ERLYNNE looks at him, and her voice andmanner become serious. In her accents at she talks there is a noteof deep tragedy. For a moment she reveals herself.) Oh, don'timagine I am going to have a pathetic scene with her, weep on herneck and tell her who I am, and all that kind of thing. I have noambition to play the part of a mother. Only once in my life like Iknown a mother's feelings. That was last night. They wereterrible--they made me suffer--they made me suffer too much. Fortwenty years, as you say, I have lived childless,--I want to livechildless still. (Hiding her feelings with a trivial laugh.)Besides, my dear Windermere, how on earth could I pose as a motherwith a grown-up daughter? Margaret is twenty-one, and I have neveradmitted that I am more than twenty-nine, or thirty at the most.Twenty-nine when there are pink shades, thirty when there are not.So you see what difficulties it would involve. No, as far as I amconcerned, let your wife cherish the memory of this dead, stainlessmother. Why should I interfere with her illusions? I find it hardenough to keep my own. I lost one illusion last night. I thoughtI had no heart. I find I have, and a heart doesn't suit me,Windermere. Somehow it doesn't go with modern dress. It makes onelook old. (Takes up hand-mirror from table and looks into it.)And it spoils one's career at critical moments.
LORD WINDERMERE. You fill me with horror--with absolute horror.
MRS. ERLYNNE. (Rising.) I suppose, Windermere, you would like meto retire into a convent, or become a hospital nurse, or somethingof that kind, as people do in silly modern novels. That is stupidof you, Arthur; in real life we don't do such things--not as longas we have any good looks left, at any rate. No--what consoles onenowadays is not repentance, but pleasure. Repentance is quite outof date. And besides, if a woman really repents, she has to go toa bad dressmaker, otherwise no one believes in her. And nothing inthe world would induce me to do that. No; I am going to passentirely out of your two lives. My coming into them has been amistake--I discovered that last night.
LORD WINDERMERE. A fatal mistake.
MRS. ERLYNNE. (Smiling.) Almost fatal.
LORD WINDERMERE. I am sorry now I did not tell my wife the wholething at once.
MRS. ERLYNNE. I regret my bad actions. You regret your good ones--that is the difference between us.
LORD WINDERMERE. I don't trust you. I WILL tell my wife. It'sbetter for her to know, and from me. It will cause her infinitepain--it will humiliate her terribly, but it's right that sheshould know.
MRS. ERLYNNE. You propose to tell her?
LORD WINDERMERE. I am going to tell her.
MRS. ERLYNNE. (Going up to him.) If you do, I will make my nameso infamous that it will mar every moment of her life. It willruin her, and make her wretched. If you dare to tell her, there isno depth of degradation I will not sink to, no pit of shame I willnot enter. You shall not tell her--I forbid you.
LORD WINDERMERE. Why?
MRS. ERLYNNE. (After a pause.) If I said to you that I cared forher, perhaps loved her even--you would sneer at me, wouldn't you?
LORD WINDERMERE. I should feel it was not true. A mother's lovemeans devotion, unselfishness, sacrifice. What could you know ofsuch things?
MRS. ERLYNNE. You are right. What could I know of such things?Don't let us talk any more about it--as for telling my daughter whoI am, that I do not allow. It is my secret, it is not yours. If Imake up my mind to tell her, and I think I will, I shall tell herbefore I leave the house--if not, I shall never tell her.
LORD WINDERMERE. (Angrily.) Then let me beg of you to leave ourhouse at once. I will make your excuses to Margaret.
(Enter LADY WINDERMERE R. She goes over to MRS. ERLYNNE with thephotograph in her hand. LORD WINDERMERE moves to back of sofa, andanxiously watches MRS. ERLYNNE as the scene progresses.)
LADY WINDERMERE. I am so sorry, Mrs. Erlynne, to have kept youwaiting. I couldn't find the photograph anywhere. At last Idiscovered it in my husband's dressing-room--he had stolen it.
MRS. ERLYNNE. (Takes the photograph from her and looks at it.) Iam not surprised--it is charming. (Goes over to sofa with LADYWINDERMERE, and sits down beside her. Looks again at thephotograph.) And so that is your little boy! What is he called?
LADY WINDERMERE. Gerard, after my dear father.
MRS. ERLYNNE. (Laying the photograph down.) Really?
LADY WINDERMERE. Yes. If it had been a girl, I would have calledit after my mother. My mother had the same name as myself,Margaret.
MRS. ERLYNNE. My name is Margaret too.
LADY WINDERMERE. Indeed!
MRS. ERLYNNE. Yes. (Pause.) You are devoted to your mother'smemory, Lady Windermere, your husband tells me.
LADY WINDERMERE. We all have ideals in life. At least we allshould have. Mine is my mother.
LADY WINDERMERE. (Shaking her head.) If I lost my ideals, Ishould lose everything.
MRS. ERLYNNE. Everything?
LADY WINDERMERE. Yes. (Pause.)
MRS. ERLYNNE. Did your father often speak to you of your mother?
LADY WINDERMERE. No, it gave him too much pain. He told me how mymother had died a few months after I was born. His eyes filledwith tears as he spoke. Then he begged me never to mention hername 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 ruinedlife know,
MRS. ERLYNNE. (Rising.) I am afraid I must go now, LadyWindermere.
LADY WINDERMERE. (Rising.) Oh no, don't.
MRS. ERLYNNE. I think I had better. My carriage must have comeback by this time. I sent it to Lady Jedburgh's with a note.
LADY WINDERMERE. Arthur, would you mind seeing if Mrs. Erlynne'scarriage has come back?
MRS. ERLYNNE. Pray don't trouble, Lord Windermere.
LADY WINDERMERE. Yes, Arthur, do go, please.
(LORD WINDERMERE hesitated 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 melast night? (Goes towards her.)
MRS. ERLYNNE. Hush--don't speak of it.
LADY WINDERMERE. I must speak of it. I can't let you think that Iam going to accept this sacrifice. I am not. It is too great. Iam going to tell my husband everything. It is my duty.
MRS. ERLYNNE. It is not your duty--at least you have duties toothers besides him. You say you owe me something?
LADY WINDERMERE. I owe you everything.
MRS. ERLYNNE. Then pay your debt by silence. That is the only wayin which it can be paid. Don't spoil the one good thing I havedone in my life by telling it to any one. Promise me that whatpassed last night will remain a secret between us. You must notbring misery into your husband's life. Why spoil his love? Youmust not spoil it. Love is easily killed. Oh! how easily love iskilled. Pledge me your word, Lady Windermere, that you will nevertell him. I insist upon it.
LADY WINDERMERE. (With bowed head.) It is your will, not mine.
MRS. ERLYNNE. Yes, it is my will. And never forget your child--Ilike to think of you as a mother. I like you to think of yourselfas one.
LADY WINDERMERE. (Looking up.) I always will now. Only once inmy life I have forgotten my own mother--that was last night. Oh,if I had remembered her I should not have been so foolish, sowicked.
MRS. ERLYNNE. (With a slight shudder.) Hush, last night is quiteover.
(Enter LORD WINDERMERE.)
LORD WINDERMERE. Your carriage has not come back yet, Mrs.Erlynne.
MRS. ERLYNNE. It makes no matter. I'll take a hansom. There isnothing in the world so respectable as a good Shrewsbury andTalbot. And now, dear Lady Windermere, I am afraid it is reallygood-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 wassilly enough to run away with last night from your ball. Now, Iwonder would you give it to me? Lord Windermere says you may. Iknow it is his present.
LADY WINDERMERE. Oh, certainly, if it will give you any pleasure.But it has my name on it. It has 'Margaret' on it.
MRS. ERLYNNE. But we have the same Christian name.
MRS. ERLYNNE. Quite wonderful. Thanks--it will always remind meof you. (Shakes hands with her.)
dear child, the woman's impossible. No .
(Enter PARKER.)
PARKER. Lord Augustus Lorton. Mrs. Erlynne's carriage has come.
(Enter LORD AUGUSTUS.)
LORD AUGUSTUS. Good morning, dear boy. Good morning, LadyWindermere. (Sees MRS. ERLYNNE.) Mrs. Erlynne!
MRS. ERLYNNE. How do you do, Lord Augustus? Are you quite wellthis morning?
MRS. ERLYNNE. You don't look at all well, Lord Augustus. You stopup too late--it is so bad for you. You really should take morecare of yourself. Good-bye, Lord Windermere. (Goes towards doorwith a bow to LORD AUGUSTUS. Suddenly smiles and looks back athim.) Lord Augustus! Won't you see me to my carriage? You mightcarry the fan.
LORD WINDERMERE. Allow me!
MRS. ERLYNNE. No; I want Lord Augustus. I have a special messagefor the dear Duchess. Won't you carry the fan, Lord Augustus?
LORD AUGUSTUS. If you really desire it, Mrs. Erlynne.
MRS. ERLYNNE. (Laughing.) Of course I do. You'll carry it sogracefully. You would carry off anything gracefully, dear LordAugustus.
(When she reaches the door she looks back for a moment at LADYWINDERMERE. Their eyes meet. Then she turns, and exit C. followedby LORD AUGUSTUS.)
LADY WINDERMERE. You will never speak against Mrs. Erlynne again,Arthur, will you?
LORD WINDERMERE. (Gravely.) She is better than one thought her.
LADY WINDERMERE. She is better than I am.
LORD WINDERMERE. (Smiling as he strokes her hair.) Child, you andshe belong to different worlds. Into your world evil has neverentered.
LADY WINDERMERE. Don't say that, Arthur. There is the same worldfor all of us, and good and evil, sin and innocence, go through ithand in hand. To shut one's eyes to half of life that one may livesecurely is as though one blinded oneself that one might walk withmore safety in a land of pit and precipice.
LORD WINDERMERE. (Moves down with her.) Darling, why do you saythat?
LADY WINDERMERE. (Sits on sofa.) Because I, who had shut my eyesto life, came to the brink. And one who had separated us -
LORD WINDERMERE. We were never separated.
LADY WINDERMERE. We never must be again. O Arthur, don't love meless, and I will trust you more. I will trust you absolutely. Letus go to Selby. In the Rose Garden at Selby the roses are whiteand red.
(Enter LORD AUGUSTUS C.)
LORD AUGUSTUS. Arthur, she has explained everything!
(LADY WINDERMERE looks horribly frightened at this. LORDWINDERMERE starts. LORD AUGUSTUS takes WINDERMERE by the arm andbrings him to front of stage. He talks rapidly and in a low voice.LADY WINDERMERE stands watching them in terror.) My dear fellow,she has explained every demmed thing. We all wronged herimmensely. It was entirely for my sake she went to Darlington'srooms. Called first at the Club--fact is, wanted to put me out ofsuspense--and being told I had gone on--followed--naturallyfrightened when she heard a lot of us coming in--retired to anotherroom--I assure you, most gratifying to me, the whole thing. We allbehaved brutally to her. She is just the woman for me. Suits medown to the ground. All the conditions she makes are that we liveentirely out of England. A very good thing too. Demmed clubs,demmed climate, demmed cooks, demmed everything. Sick of it all!
LADY WINDERMERE. (Frightened.) Has Mrs. Erlynne--?
LORD AUGUSTUS. (Advancing towards her with a low bow.) Yes, LadyWindermere-- Mrs. Erlynne has done me the honour of accepting myhand.
LORD WINDERMERE. Well, you are certainly marrying a very cleverwoman!
LADY WINDERMERE. (Taking her husband's hand.) Ah, you're marryinga very good woman!
CURTAIN