Oscar Wilde - A Woman of No Importance

THE PERSONS OF THE PLAY

Lord Illingworth
Sir John Pontefract
Lord Alfred Rufford
Mr. Kelvil, M.P.
The Ven. Archdeacon Daubeny, D.D.
Gerald Arbuthnot
Farquhar, Butler
Francis, Footman
Lady Hunstanton
Lady Caroline Pontefract
Lady Stutfield
Mrs. Allonby
Miss Hester Worsley
Alice, Maid
Mrs. Arbuthnot

THE SCENES OF THE PLAY

ACT I. The Terrace at Hunstanton Chase.
ACT II. The Drawing-room at Hunstanton Chase.
ACT III. The Hall at Hunstanton Chase.
ACT IV. Sitting-room in Mrs. Arbuthnot's House at Wrockley.

TIME: The Present.PLACE: The Shires.

The action of the play takes place within twenty-four hours.

LONDON: HAYMARKET THEATRE

Lessee and Manager: Mr. H Beerbohm TreeApril 19th, 1893

Lord Illingworth, Mr. Tree
Sir John Pontefract, Mr. E. Holman Clark
Lord Alfred Rufford, Mr. Ernest Lawford
Mr. Kelvil, M.P., Mr. Charles Allan.
The Ven. Archdeacon Daubeny, D.D., Mr. Kemble
Gerald Arbuthnot, Mr. Terry
Farquhar, Butler, Mr. Hay
Francis, Footman, Mr. Montague
Lady Hunstanton, Miss Rose Leclercq
Lady Caroline Pontefract, Miss Le Thiere
Lady Stutfield, Miss Blanche Horlock
Mrs. Allonby, Mrs. Tree
Miss Hester Worsley, Miss Julia Neilson
Alice, Maid, Miss Kelly
Mrs. Arbuthnot, Mrs. Bernard-Beere

SCENE

Lawn in front of the terrace at Hunstanton.

[SIR JOHN and LADY CAROLINE PONTEFRACT, MISS WORSLEY, on chairsunder large yew tree.]

LADY CAROLINE. I believe this is the first English country houseyou have stayed at, Miss Worsley?

HESTER. Yes, Lady Caroline.

LADY CAROLINE. You have no country houses, I am told, in America?

HESTER. We have not many.

LADY CAROLINE. Have you any country? What we should call country?

HESTER. [Smiling.] We have the largest country in the world, LadyCaroline. They used to tell us at school that some of our statesare as big as France and England put together.

LADY CAROLINE. Ah! you must find it very draughty, I should fancy.[To SIR JOHN.] John, you should have your muffler. What is theuse of my always knitting mufflers for you if you won't wear them?

SIR JOHN. I am quite warm, Caroline, I assure you.

LADY CAROLINE. I think not, John. Well, you couldn't come to amore charming place than this, Miss Worsley, though the house isexcessively damp, quite unpardonably damp, and dear Lady Hunstantonis sometimes a little lax about the people she asks down here. [ToSIR JOHN.] Jane mixes too much. Lord Illingworth, of course, is aman of high distinction. It is a privilege to meet him. And thatmember of Parliament, Mr. Kettle

SIR JOHN. Kelvil, my love, Kelvil.

LADY CAROLINE. He must be quite respectable. One has never heardhis name before in the whole course of one's life, which speaksvolumes for a man, nowadays. But Mrs. Allonby is hardly a verysuitable person.

HESTER. I dislike Mrs. Allonby. I dislike her more than I cansay.

LADY CAROLINE. I am not sure, Miss Worsley, that foreigners likeyourself should cultivate likes or dislikes about the people theyare invited to meet. Mrs. Allonby is very well born. She is aniece of Lord Brancaster's. It is said, of course, that she ranaway twice before she was married. But you know how unfair peopleoften are. I myself don't believe she ran away more than once.

HESTER. Mr. Arbuthnot is very charming.

LADY CAROLINE. Ah, yes! the young man who has a post in a bank.Lady Hunstanton is most kind in asking him here, and LordIllingworth seems to have taken quite a fancy to him. I am notsure, however, that Jane is right in taking him out of hisposition. In my young days, Miss Worsley, one never met any one insociety who worked for their living. It was not considered thething.

HESTER. In America those are the people we respect most.

LADY CAROLINE. I have no doubt of it.

HESTER. Mr. Arbuthnot has a beautiful nature! He is so simple, sosincere. He has one of the most beautiful natures I have ever comeacross. It is a privilege to meet HIM.

LADY CAROLINE. It is not customary in England, Miss Worsley, for ayoung lady to speak with such enthusiasm of any person of theopposite sex. English women conceal their feelings till after theyare married. They show them then.

HESTER. Do you, in England, allow no friendship to exist between ayoung man and a young girl?

[Enter LADY HUNSTANTON, followed by Footman with shawls and acushion.]

LADY CAROLINE. We think it very inadvisable. Jane, I was justsaying what a pleasant party you have asked us to meet. You have awonderful power of selection. It is quite a gift.

LADY HUNSTANTON. Dear Caroline, how kind of you! I think we alldo fit in very nicely together. And I hope our charming Americanvisitor will carry back pleasant recollections of our Englishcountry life. [To Footman.] The cushion, there, Francis. And myshawl. The Shetland. Get the Shetland. [Exit Footman for shawl.]

[Enter GERALD ARBUTHNOT.]

GERALD. Lady Hunstanton, I have such good news to tell you. LordIllingworth has just offered to make me his secretary.

LADY HUNSTANTON. His secretary? That is good news indeed, Gerald.It means a very brilliant future in store for you. Your dearmother will be delighted. I really must try and induce her to comeup here to-night. Do you think she would, Gerald? I know howdifficult it is to get her to go anywhere.

GERALD. Oh! I am sure she would, Lady Hunstanton, if she knewLord Illingworth had made me such an offer.

[Enter Footman with shawl.]

LADY HUNSTANTON. I will write and tell her about it, and ask herto come up and meet him. [To Footman.] Just wait, Francis.[Writes letter.]

LADY CAROLINE. That is a very wonderful opening for so young a manas you are, Mr. Arbuthnot.

GERALD. It is indeed, Lady Caroline. I trust I shall be able toshow myself worthy of it.

LADY CAROLINE. I trust so.

GERALD. [To HESTER.] YOU have not congratulated me yet, MissWorsley.

HESTER. Are you very pleased about it?

GERALD. Of course I am. It means everything to me - things thatwere out of the reach of hope before may be within hope's reachnow.

HESTER. Nothing should be out of the reach of hope. Life is ahope.

LADY HUNSTANTON. I fancy, Caroline, that Diplomacy is what LordIllingworth is aiming at. I heard that he was offered Vienna. Butthat may not be true.

LADY CAROLINE. I don't think that England should be representedabroad by an unmarried man, Jane. It might lead to complications.

LADY HUNSTANTON. You are too nervous, Caroline. Believe me, youare too nervous. Besides, Lord Illingworth may marry any day. Iwas in hopes he would have married lady Kelso. But I believe hesaid her family was too large. Or was it her feet? I forgetwhich. I regret it very much. She was made to be an ambassador'swife.