GERALD: My dear mother, it all sounds very tragic, of course. But I dare say the girl was just as much to blame as Lord Illingworth was. After all, would a really nice girl, a girl with any nice feelings at all, go away from her home with a man to whom she was not married, and live with him as his wife? No nice girl would.

MRS. ARBUTHNOT (after a pause): Gerald, I withdraw all my objections. You are at liberty to go away with Lord Illingworth, when and where you choose.

GERALD: Dear mother, I knew you wouldn’t stand in my way. You are the best woman God ever made. And, as for Lord Illingworth, I don’t believe he is capable of anything infamous or base. I can’t believe it of him – I can’t.

HESTER (outside): Let me go! Let me go!

Enter HESTER in terror, and rushes over to GERALD and flings herself in his arms.

HESTER: Oh! Save me – save me from him!

GERALD: From whom?

HESTER: He has insulted me! Horribly insulted me! Save me!

GERALD: Who? Who has dared – ?

LORD ILLINGWORTH enters at back of stage. HESTER breaks from GERALD’S arms and points to him.

GERALD (he is quite beside himself with rage and indignation): Lord Illingworth, you have insulted the purest thing on God’s earth, a thing as pure as my own mother. You have insulted the woman I love most in the world with my own mother. As there is a God in Heaven, I will kill you!

MRS. ARBUTHNOT (rushing across and catching hold of him): No! no!

GERALD (thrusting her back): Don’t hold me, mother. Don’t hold me – I’ll kill him!

MRS. ARBUTHNOT: Gerald!

GERALD: Let me go, I say!

MRS. ARBUTHNOT: Stop, Gerald, stop! He is your own father!

GERALD clutches his mother’s hands and looks into her face. She sinks slowly on the ground in shame. HESTER steals towards the door. LORD ILLINGWORTH frowns and bites his lip. After a time GERALD raises his mother up, puts his arm round her, and leads her from the room.

ACT DROP

ACT FOUR

SCENE: Sitting-room at Mrs. Arbuthnot’s house at Wrockley. Large open French window at back, looking on to garden. Doors R.C. and L.C.

GERALD ARBUTHNOT writing at table.

Enter ALICE R.C. followed by LADY HUNSTANTON and MRS. ALLONBY.

ALICE: Lady Hunstanton and Mrs. Allonby. (Exit L.C.)

LADY HUNSTANTON: Good-morning, Gerald.

GERALD (rising): Good-morning, Lady Hunstanton. Good-morning, Mrs. Allonby.

LADY HUNSTANTON (sitting down): We came to inquire for your dear mother, Gerald. I hope she is better?

GERALD: My mother has not come down yet, Lady Hunstanton.

LADY HUNSTANTON: Ah, I am afraid the heat was too much for her last night. I think there must have been thunder in the air. Or perhaps it was the music. Music makes one feel so romantic – at least it always gets on one’s nerves.